The Girl Who Would
by e.b. avery
Summary: Lana was Adam's girlfriend before he disappeared years ago. Hellbent on finding him but with no clues as to where to start, it seems she is at a stale mate until a dream leads her to Stull Cemetery and an encounter with two men claiming to be Adam's brother. Will the three of them be able to save Adam or is he lost forever?
1. Chapter 1

"Miss?"

Lana looked up at her hands and tried to act professional even though her brain was everywhere else but here.

"Yes, I'm sorry," She forced a smile, "How can I help you?" Another waitress-Julie- came up behind her and shook her head, "I got this one", she said as she motioned the couple to follow her.

Lana hated this. She knew that her coworkers were being helpful, trying to take her mind off of it all, but she found it made her feel small and useless, like she couldn't do anything. Maybe that was true to an extent- this was the one week a year she felt like she would fall apart.

Seven years on and she still had no answers or clues as to what happened. She was still stuck here in this stupid, small town asking questions with no responses.

"Her boyfriend went missing a few years back, him and his mom. This is the anniversary week of it." She heard Julie whisper to the couple who nodded sympathetically. Lana clenched her fists and tried to contain her anger. Which, to be honest, she wasn't very good at. The last week she saw Adam he was acting strange. When she went to pick him up for class that Monday he acted like he was trying to be Adam but couldn't quite get the part was robotic, odd.

He didn't go to any other classes that week.

The very last time she saw him he was walking into a hotel room with two older guys and pretended not to see her. After that, he was gone. She was the one that found the house and called the police in a panic. Furniture was thrown everywhere, blood on the walls and floor. The place reeked of panic. Even after the forensics guys tested the blood for DNA they came up with nothing. No matches. They just knew it wasn't Adams or his mom's.

God, she couldn't forget the sight of all that blood.

The house sat empty for years until the bank finally bought it and turned it into a rental. She changed her driving route just so she wouldn't have to look at it. She couldn't acknowledge that Adam was probably dead and she was the one that found the proof.

"Lana, go home. You don't need to be here," Julie said quietly behind her, "Everyone understands."

She stood up and grabbed the cleaning rag from the seat next to her, "No, I can't. If I go home I will just sit there and think about it. Let me clean."

She walked over an already clean table and used the rag with more force than was needed. The strange thing was that she wasn't in love with Adam, not really. She loved him as much as a 19-year-old girl in college could love her boyfriend. In fact, she was pretty sure if he was still here they would have broken up by now. She didn't love him like they do in the storybooks, and that was okay with her because he probably felt the same. Adam was kind and good, the sort of guy who respected his mom and brought you home on time. He liked baseball and hockey and would have made a damn fine doctor one day. Sure, he had a sarcastic streak a mile wide but it was more entertaining than anything. Adam needed someone that was just as dependable and sweet as him. Lana knew she did not fit that bill.

So why was she so stuck on his death?

The question hit Lana hard, but it was one that she had often wondered. Something about the house, the blood and the fact that both Adam and his mother just vanished never sat right with her. The police and the town just accepted the murder and never questioned it. They wanted to move on, get over it. But Lana couldn't. She felt in her bones that something was off and so every year she mourned the unanswered questions she had right along with the boyfriend she lost.

The day dragged on and Lana found herself delegated to doing work that revolved around not speaking to people. By the time 8 o'clock rolled around she was shoved out the door and told to go home.

The night was cool, as most early summer nights were in Wisconsin, and the sun was still in the process of setting. She made her way to her old Bronco and slid inside before starting the Beast up. She knew she was able to get a new car if she wanted to, but there was something about cars like this. Old, used, left to rot. They had a story to them- a life- and that was something you couldn't buy with the new plastic cars they kept rolling out. They lacked a soul. While the Beast may not look pretty and took a while to turn over in the winter, no one could deny the fact that he had soul.

Lana turned on the Beast and pulled out of the parking lot. She stopped at the four-way and, to her own surprise, she made the left hand turn and made her way to Adam's house. Her hands started sweating the closer she got and by the time she was idling outside of the house her heart was beating wildly. Lana didn't look up from her steering wheel for a few minutes. Instead, she noticed the stitching and rips in the fabric of the wheel, wondering how all those little gouges got there, what was their story? She wondered why the makers of the Beast decided on a butterscotch color for the leather over any other kind.

Does anyone actually like butterscotch?

Finally, she looked up. The house seemed harmless now. It had been newly painted white as if that would help purify the place. Someone had planted flowers around the front porch and put up a little sign that read "God Bless All Who Enter." That made her scoff. God surely hadn't blessed the last family who lived there. In fact, God seemed to have turned his back.

Suddenly words filled her head. Words said over an empty coffin in a funeral service I promise to find you. I promise to figure out what happened.

Seven years of words and nothing to show for it. Lana slammed the heels of her hands against the steering wheel with intensity. Guilt and shame surrounded her like a dense fog. Her teeth clenched as she railed on the old leather and metal. She wouldn't cry, hell, maybe she couldn't cry, but she could feel anger. That sort of anger that simmered and stewed quietly until it exploded out. She'd been angry for years and every once in awhile it just sort of slipped out and refused to go back in.

She placed her head on the steering wheel and glanced once more over at the house before turning the car on. She'd hold on to the anger if it meant she'd find him. There was no way she would stop looking now.

Lana's house was small, but that is exactly how she liked it. Because the rent was so cheap she was able to stash most of her money away. She unlocked the front door and threw her keys into a bowl that sat on a side table before walking towards the bathroom. After a shower that was a little too cold she plopped down on the couch and pulled out a book. Within ten minutes she had fallen asleep.

She saw Adam standing in the middle of an overgrown cemetery. The grass was a dull golden brown and the skies sat heavy with gray. At first, she wasn't sure if she was dreaming-it all seemed so real.

He didn't seem to notice she was there as she walked up to him. Lana whispered his name, almost scared that if she said it too loud he would vanish. Adam didn't move or seem to hear her. She reached out a trembling hand and touched his arm, "Adam?"

"I'm not sure if it's you or not." He answered.

His voice made her want to sob, "Why wouldn't it be me?"

Adam turned to face her but kept his eyes on the ground, " I've been here before, you know. A thousand times before. You always come, or my mom, or sometimes Sam and Dean. You never save me. You all let me fall."

Lana's stomach turned in guilt and sadness as she tried to find the words to say, "I'm...trying. Adam, I am trying to find you. I just...where do I look? It's been seven years and I still don't know where to go." She was dangerously close to crying.

"You can't find me, Lana."

"I'm stubborn."

" I'm gone."

Lana almost couldn't get the words out, "You're...are you...dead?"

Adam chuckled solemnly and he shook his head, " I wish."

Lana grabbed his arms and was shocked at how real and solid he felt. She could feel the fabric of his shirt, the muscles under it. It was as if she was actually standing next to him having this conversation. "Please, Adam. Tell me how I can find you. Where are you? Just let me bring you home."

He shook his head as his hand worried with the fabric of her shirt, "You can't Lan. I'm not lost and I'm not dead. I'm just not here. "

This was all too much for her: the way his head shook and his hair fell, how he felt under her hands, the way he was twisting the ends of her shirt. Even though she couldn't see his eyes, he still looked like Adam, but as he was all those years ago. He never aged, she couldn't even imagine him older than this. "I don't understand. Just tell me where you are."

Adam stopped playing with her hem, "You don't want to know."

"Please," she pleaded, something she would normally never do.

Adam placed his hands on her face and finally looked into her eyes. His eyes weren't his own, they were full of flames and anguish.

"I'm burning."

Lana fell to her knees, eyes still locked to Adam's. His hands were still on her face, her knees in the wet grass and then suddenly the place wasn't there. Suddenly she wasn't.

The next thing she heard was the screaming mixed with a crackling noise. Even before she opened her eyes she could feel the heat- a searing, wicked pain that engulfed her. She whipped her head up and blinked wildly trying to understand where she was. She found herself in a metallic, cruel looking cage that dangled in the midst of the screams and horror. Every so often a giant flash lit up around her so she could properly see how screwed she was. At first, she thought it was lightning but quickly she realized that instead of lightning bolts, these were made of flame and soot- great arcing bolts of them that struck from place to place.

Lana scrambled to her feet and grabbed the bars with her hands. Pain shot through them as soon as she touched them. She swore loudly as she realized that she had burned both of her palms. Is there where Adam was for the last seven years? How could he handle it?

"My, my, my. Who have we here?"

Lana swung around and faced the two men that were in the cage with her. One didn't look at all familiar but the other one looked exactly like Adam only...off. She knew somehow that it wasn't him. Neither of them took their eyes off of her and no one moved.

"Is this...Hell?" Lana knew she sounded weak, pathetic even, but a few hours ago she was sweeping up a diner in Wisconsin and now she was in some hovering death trap. At this point she didn't care how she sounded.

The Adam look alike cocked his head and took a step closer, " How are you here?"

"I don't even know where here is...I mean..." This place was too much, her head felt like it was going to explode.

She was slammed up against the side of the cage, the metal burning deep into her skin, "How are you here?!"

"Michael." The other warned.

Lana tried to pull away but it was like sitting under a slab of granite. She screamed out in pain but that didn't seem to phase the man who was holding her down. The fact that he wore Adam's face made this even more disturbing.

" How did she get in here, brother? Who is she?" The man holding her down asked with an acidic tone.

Lana's body couldn't handle this pain and insanity any longer and she felt herself fading. Her eyes fluttered as her brain started to become foggy and muffled. She could make out that the man holding her down was yelling something at her but she didn't care what it was. Nothing could be worse than this. Lana closed her eyes and welcomed whatever came after this place.

Lana tossed the book across the room as she flung to life. That dream was too real, it left a gaping hole in her heart where she could feel the sadness and pain seeping in. She stood in the middle of the room gasping for air. What was that place? Could that truly be where Adam had been this whole time?

She brought her hands to her face when a burning sensation flowed through her fists. Slowly she peeled away her fingers and was met with the sight of burn marks.

"No," Lana whispered, " no, no, this can't be happening."

She ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. She looked the same: same chin-length brown hair, same hazel eyes, same too-pale skin. Nothing looked different. Her mind reminded her of that cage, she remembered being shoved up against the searing metal bars, she remembered how they burned. Lana turned her back to the mirror and slowly lifted her shirt to reveal her back.

"Oh my god," she whispered, her voice wavering.

They were there- the burns. All of them the shape and size of the bars she had been thrown against. She fell to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest and sobbing uncontrollably.

In the back of her mind whispered a voice. Small, quiet, and almost lost. It sounded like him.

"Stull Cemetery…" The words bounced around in her head for a while before she comprehended what she was hearing.

Curled up on the tiles, she lifted her head and wiped her eyes.

She knew where she had to go next.


	2. Chapter 2

Lana threw the map off of her steering wheel as she pushed on the gas pedal a little harder. The seat next to her was a mess with wrappers, a few water bottles, and a bag of clothes scattered across it. Her hands were wrapped with gauze but she hadn't bothered trying to wrap her back. No, once she heard that voice she made her way to her phone, looked it up, and starting packing.

Hell, she didn't even give notice to the diner, just a lame ass note on the door: I'm out. Not sure when I will back.

And now she was somewhere in Iowa making her way down to a cemetery in Kansas. God forsaken Kansas.

She couldn't tell you anything that happened on that trip, she knew that there was some blues station involved and after that fazed out, one that focused on what her father would call "foot-stompin' music". She knew there was an insane amount of flat roads that sometimes dipped into valleys and that she truly did not see a patch of forest for miles. She knew she was too nervous to eat. But beyond that? The whole trip was a blur.

When she finally turned into Lawrence she started to sharpen up, the Beast had taken her this far without trouble and when she stopped in at a gas station for a fill up, she patted it on the hood and thanked him for complying. She made her way into the dusty station and pulled out her wallet to pay her bill.

"Hey, um, do you know where Stull Cemetery is?" She asked as the man passed her change back to her.

"Yeah, of course. Who doesn't?"

"I don't."

The man smirked and leaned in. Lana mentally rolled her eyes and leaned in to meet him.

"They say it's a gate to Hell."

"Oh, they do?"

He nodded, " Yeah. Like there are a ton of ghosts there, and some people think demons too. If you believe that sort of thing."

"Do you?"

He leaned back, "Well now, I suppose I might. I'm not going there after dark, if that is what you are asking."

She pushed her hair behind her ear and noticed for the first time that she could use a brush, "Got directions?"

He laughed, " You some kind of ghost hunter?"

"I'm hunting something."

It was closing in on dusk when she finally made her way to the cemetery. She parked a few hundred yards back, slung her small backpack over her shoulder and trudged through the overgrown grass until she came to the cemetery. Something inside of Lana dropped as her mind recognized this place from her dream. She refused to think about the burns on her hands and back, and the drive had given her a way to ignore them, but now she was faced with a place that she had only seen in her dreams. This is where she saw Adam.

Her mind told her that there was no way he could be here, not after seven years, but her heart leapt at the thought of it. Night was quickly sinking in, so she walked towards the gate as quickly as she could.

"You know, " she whispered to herself, "you could have just asked me to meet you in a coffee shop or park. A park would have been nice. But, no. Oh no, I have to meet you in some terrifying cemetery that looks like it is out of a horror movie."

The grass was wet, and she could feel the dampness setting into her jeans. Her mind thought back to the dream, and how she had felt that same damp grass there. She shook the thought out of her head and kept walking. Soon she was in the middle of the cemetery. She let her backpack slip off of her shoulder and stood, waiting for something to happen.

When nothing did she threw her arms up and shouted, "I'm here, Adam! Now what?"

There was no answer, not that she really expected one. She knew she was here for a reason. After so many years of searching, of waiting, and now she has a dream? No, there was a reason for this. There had to be. She dropped to one knee, unzipped her pack and pulled out a flashlight. If standing here waiting was getting her nowhere, she would look.

The skies had started to let out a little rain, and she wrapped her hoodie around her a bit tighter as she trudged through the overgrowth. There was a time she would have liked this. No, not frolicking in an abandoned cemetery alone, but just looking. Looking at nature, the old church. Looking at the headstones and wondering about the history and life of the person who was now in the ground. She loved history - or at least she had. After Adam disappeared all of that kind of went with him. She shone her flashlight on the a headstone that was so worn she almost missed it.

What was his story? Did he fall in love, have a family? Or was his story more tragic than that?

"Probably died of alcoholism, poor bastard."

She wandered for an hour, waiting for some sort of sign but none came. Nothing happened here. There were no angelic proclamations, no zombies rising from their graves, or demons creeping around headstones.

There was no Adam.

The rain started to hit her face a little harder and faster as she walked back to her backpack. She felt confused, a little angry, and lost. She'd gone to where she was supposed to and what came of it? Nothing. While she couldn't explain away her horrifying dream and the burns on her body, she didn't have to stand out here in the rain. She'd sit in the Beast and wait, but even now she felt her hope waning.

She reached the area where her bag was and heard talking. It was dampened by the rain but she could make out the voices and they were near where she had put her backpack. Lana put her hand over the light and moved slowly and deliberately towards the noise.

"I don't know! We can't do it while someone is here."

"We can't wait either. This is it. Let's just find the ghost hunting loser and get him out of here."

She could make out two men- a taller one with hair that was a bit too long and a shorter one who was rifling through her bag. The closer she got, the more angry she felt. This was not going to end well for them.

The shorter one pulled out her bra and shined a light on it, "I suppose we are looking for a her."

Lana stepped out from the shadows and pointed her light at them, "Suppose you are."

The two moved back quickly and let their flashlights land on her. The rain and the light made it hard for her to make out distinctions about their faces, but she could see them well enough to keep tabs on them.

"Is this a pervert thing or a 'stealing money for drugs' thing? Either way, I want my stuff back." She said with a stony stare.

The shorter one dropped her bra and reached for his pocket, "Sorry ma'am, but this place is investigation at the moment, I am going to have to ask you to leave." He pulled out a badge and showed it to her.

"You're investigating my bra?"

"No, We're investigating...listen, I don't have to explain myself. Just go."

She looked at both of the men. There was no way they were cops. They didn't act like them, stand like them, and they sure as hell didn't look like them.

She nodded at the taller one, " Cops don't have to have short hair anymore? Is there some new memo on hair length and head banging that I wasn't aware of?"

The tall one made a face, but the shorter one seemed a little annoyed, " I will arrest you."

She shifted her weight to one side and sized him up, "No. You won't."

"Excuse me?"

She put her hands in front of her, "Go ahead. Assuming you have cuffs that don't sport fur. You're not cops. No way. So, either you're pervs or there is some really creepy reason you're lying and trying to get me to leave. Which is it?"

They all stood in silence as the rain intensified and turned cold. Lana stood her ground and waited for the answer, but before she got it the shorter one rolled his eyes and reached around for something.

"Dean…" The taller one warned.

Years of living in a small town full of guns had taught her a few things- when to use one, how to use one, and when someone is pulling one out. There is a specific look folks have when they are about to use a gun - she had seen it before while at gun ranges and hunting- and right now the shorter one had that glint in his eye.

Thinking quickly, Lana whipped the flashlight at the shorter one and reached around for the handgun she had stashed in her own belt. The man dove out of the way to miss the heavy light and the other man took a step towards her. She pulled the gun, aimed it at the shorter man's face, and smirked as they both put their hands up and stopped moving.

"Now. Wanna tell me what you're doing in my stuff?"

The two men were silent, and the only light in the whole area came from the three flashlights that were thrown on the ground. She still couldn't make out their features too well but she knew where her gun was pointed and she was not scared to pull that trigger.

"You're not going to shoot me," Said the shorter one as he shrugged, "You would have already-"

Lana let off a round next to his foot before he could finish.

"What the hell?!"

"I started shooting guns when I was ten. Learned at Bible Camp," She said nonchalantly, pointing the gun back at his head, "I guess there are real upsides to growing up in a redneck town. Now, I am not all too familiar with this gun as I normally shoot rifles but I have a feeling I can use it just fine."

"Are you serious?!" He asked

"Dead. Well, about as dead as you and your boyfriend over here will be if you don't start talking."

"He's my brother," said the tall one, sounding annoyed.

"I don't care, Paul Bunyan. Just talk."

He cleared his throat, "My name is Sam. That is my brother, Dean. We aren't perverts or drug addicts. We hunt...things. We're not trying to hurt you but it isn't safe for you out here. Not tonight. Please, just go home."

Lana shifted her eyes to look at Sam, but still kept tabs on Dean, "Sorry Sam. But I can't leave. I have to be here tonight. So maybe you should do your poaching someplace else."

Dean took a step forward and Lana re-positioned her gun and stared him down, "We aren't poachers. But you can't be here. It's not safe. Why don't you just leave? I am sure your boyfriend is worried about you."

Lana felt the anger boil over at his condescending tone, "My boyfriend is why I am here, you stupid bitch, he's meeting me here. Tonight." Even as she said it, she wasn't sure it was true.

Sam chuckled as Dean's face hardened at the insult, "Can't your boyfriend meet you somewhere else?"

"No."

"Because he is dead! Or...not dead... I don't know. All I know is that this spot is where I am supposed to be, so back off." Saying it out loud, she knew it sounded insane but standing here pointing a gun at two grown men who wouldn't tell her the truth felt just as insane, so she went with it.

"You're looking for a ghost?"

"No..I don't..I don't think so."

"Sister, ghosts are bad news. Don't go looking for trouble, let your boyfriend go."

Lana shook the realization that she was talking about her dead boyfriend like it was no big deal and that these guys were acting like it was no big deal. What was up with these two?

"Unless ghosts live in metal cages hovering over fire and gore, I don't think he is a ghost."  
The mention of the cage caused the two men to look at one another.

"What is your boyfriend's name?"

Lana felt uneasy. Sometime inside of her could feel the wrongness of this situation but she answered anyway.

"Adam. Adam Milligan."

There was a silence. A deep, penetrating silence that permeated the area after she said his name. The men didn't move, didn't even breathe after his name was said. Something changed, she could feel it down to her bones.

"Kick over that flashlight," she said to Sam, who did so quickly. She picked it up- eyes and gun still on the men- and shined the light on their faces.

A flash came to her- a memory of the two men walking into the hotel room with Adam on the last day she saw him. They looked older, a bit different, but there was no denying that it was them. She didn't know why it took her so long to realize it, but the moment she did she knew what she had to do.

She sucked in air quickly and let her heart beat as wildly as it dared to, "You two.."

Lana lifted her gun, took aim, and let off two shots that echoed into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

The mixture of surprise, emotion, and rain meant that her first shot missed, going high over the head of Dean. As she pulled the trigger to let off another shot, Sam rushed her from the side and slammed her to the ground with him. She was never quite able to figure out where the second bullet landed. Her body fell on top of Sam's as he grappled for the gun in her hands. She held on tightly as she tried to twist herself away from him and regain the high ground.

"Stop, STOP, let's talk about this!" Sam shouted at her.

Lana didn't answer, instead she took her elbow and crashed it into his stomach, causing him to release her just long enough for her to roll over into the wet grass and get to her feet. Dean was quick, already at her side with a gun of his own pulled out and pointing at her face. She pointed hers back at him and the two stood silently daring the other to make the first move.

Lana's ears were ringing, her mind racing too quickly for her to catch up. These were the men, the last two people to ever be spotted with Adam while he was alive. Waves of hate, anger, confusion, and sadness rippled through her as she stared into the eyes of the man in front of her.

"Shoot me and you don't get your answers," He rumbled while looking over the top of the handgun.

"Not so sure I need them."

Sam stood up but didn't make a move towards Lana, "You do or you wouldn't be here. Maybe we need some from you too."

She didn't stop glaring at Dean. Something about him made her want to take the butt of her gun to his face. The tall one she hated, but not like Dean. There was something in the way he looked at her that made that anger issue she had flare up. His eyes were hard, too hard. She knew that look because she sported it herself. Maybe that is why she hated him so much- when she looked at him she saw the same fucked-up soul she owned. It was like looking into a fun-house mirror.

Dean looked at her one more time, lowered his gun, and dropped it to the ground, "We didn't kill Adam."

"How do I know that? I don't even know you! All I know about you is that I saw the three of you walking into a hotel room together and the next time I find is a gore filled house with no one in sight. Tell me you didn't kill him all you want but-"

"He was our brother." Sam interrupted, " He was family."

Lana lowered the gun slightly and turned towards Sam, "Adam didn't have brothers."

"No, Adam didn't know he had brothers. Our dad was his dad too. We just met that week. He called our dad's phone after his mom went missing and we came down."

Lana's face gave away her confusion, "His mom was missing before Adam and he called you? No, he would have told me. That doesn't make any sense."

Dean spoke up, "Why are you here? Now?"

She shook her head.

"You mentioned a cage - a metal cage- and fire," Sam questioned, "Where did you get that?"

She looked from one brother to the other and blew out the air she was holding in her lungs.

"You won't believe me."

"Try us, sugar." Dean challenged.

She glared daggers at him, "Call me sugar again and I will punch you in that pretty little mouth of yours."

Sam tried to calm her down, "We will believe you. Please, what happened."

Lana finally lowered the gun all the way down and looked at her wrapped hands, "I had a dream...or I don't know, maybe a vision? Adam was here - in this place- and was talking to me. I've been looking for him for years now, you know? And I find nothing until this dream. I asked him where he was and he wouldn't look at me, wouldn't even answer my question. When I touched him-" She swallowed and looked down, "He felt real. I could feel his shirt and skin. It was like I was standing right there."

"What happened next?" Sam prodded when she fell silent.

"He finally told me where he was. More like showed me. He held my face, looked into my eyes, and suddenly I wasn't here anymore. I was someplace else...horrible. There was fire and lightning and blood...screams. So many screams. And I was in this suspended cage made of metal just dangling over it all."

Sam took a step towards her and attempted to look her in the eyes, Lana looked away and tried to keep her emotions down.

"Was there...was there someone in the cage? Two men?"  
Lana's eyes grew big and she looked over at him, "How did you know that?"

"What happened next?" Dean asked, his voice softer than it was before.

Lana cleared her throat and continued to look down, "There were two men there and one looked exactly like Adam only, it wasn't him. There was something so off about him. He slammed me up against the bars of the cage. God, I could feel it burning me. The other guy just watched...called Adam "Michael". I think..I think they were brothers? I dunno, I passed out and woke up."

The three of them stood in an uncomfortable silence, the brothers staring one another down and Lana looking at the bandages. All that fight she had - that anger and hate- just dissipated after she told her story. The gun that she had held onto so tightly was slipping out of her fingers and she just let it drop to the muddy ground.

She was going crazy. She had to be. Now that she said that all out loud she understood how insane she must truly be. Phantom burns, visions from her ex, prisons floating in fire, and traveling to some Kansas graveyard? Lana wanted to sink to the ground and never get back up.

"Oh God," she let out an apathetic little laugh, " I need to be put away."

Dean walked up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, a move that ten seconds before would have left him with a black eye, but that now seemed almost caring, "Hey, hey! You're not going crazy. I don't understand how this happened, but I think you were supposed to be here tonight. I think we all were supposed to be here tonight."

Dean looked over at Sam who gave a confused shrug, "You're not crazy. I promise."

Lana thought back to her dream and remembered something Adam had said, "He mentioned you both. I didn't know your names so I didn't think about it at the time but...he said that we let him down, we didn't save him. We let him fall."

The hardness returned to Dean's eyes again, anger mixed with guilt. He let go of Lana and she pushed her hair behind her ears.

"What happened to your hands?" Sam asked, noticing the bandages.

"Um, when I was in that cage? I grabbed on to the bars and it burned me."

"Wait, you were burned? May I?" Sam pointed to her hand and she held it out for him. He carefully unwrapped her right hand and she looked away at the red, angry marks across her hands.

"Holy shit," Dean whispered.

"My back has them too, from when Adam or whoever he was shoved me against the bars."

"Is it okay if I.." Lana nodded as Sam gingerly lifted the back of her hoodie and shirt. Try as he might to make it painless, the bits of skin sticking to her shirt made her wince.

Sam let go of her shirt and stared at both Lana and Dean.

"I have no idea what is happening here, but I don't think this was a simple dream."

Lana straightened out her shirt and soaking wet hoodie. She wanted to think something about what was happening- anything- but her mind was completely blank. She shivered as the reality of the cold night hit her.

"I think we need to get out of here and to someplace warm. We're going to freeze out here trying to figure it all out,"

Sam looked at his brother and frowned, "Dude. If we don't do it tonight, we have to wait a whole year."

"I know, man. But don't you think this is a bit more important right now?"

Lana's brain started to flicker with thoughts again, "Why are you two here anyway?"

Dean rubbed the back of his neck, "This place is supposed to he a Hell Gate. A portal to hell. It opens every year on this night or so we've heard. I guess we thought we could somehow get Adam back."

Lana's eyebrows furrowed as she took in what he was saying, "Wait...Hell? Are you telling me Adam's in Hell?"

Sam seemed to wince at the word, "We've got a lot to fill you in on."


	4. Chapter 4

Lana took the chipped mug of coffee off of the table, gulped down a large mouthful, and gently placed it back. She hadn't slept in days and the weariness was starting to play with her. She looked at the two brothers across from her, took in a sharp breath and finally spoke, "You know what I am going to do? I am going to assume that because I haven't slept in a couple of days, that this is a really, really weird dream and I'll wake up from it. I will be working my horrible job, living alone in my little town, and I can just be good ol' sarcastic me."

The boys had just finished telling her everything related to Adam- his death, his resurrection, Michael, and the apocalypse. They hadn't told her everything about themselves or what they do- that would take longer than the hour they had been here- but they told her enough to catch up.

"Sorry sister, I don't think you're waking up from this one." Dean said, putting his own coffee on the table.

"I don't understand how this happened or...how the hell did I start having dreams if this happened years ago?"

Sam shrugged, "That is something we are going to have to find out."

"Sam. Dean. You called for me?" A low, flat voice came from behind her, proceeded by a whoosh and a breeze that blew her hair around. Lana jumped out of the chair and faced the man behind her.

Who had just appeared out of thin air.

"Who the Hell are you?" Lana hissed, her body backed up against the table and heart seeming to fire like a semi-automatic.

"Cas is an angel. Of the Lord." Dean said with an amused tone to his voice, "He's here to help."

Lana scanned the man from head to toe and threw her hands up in a defeated motion, "Sure, why not."

She shook her head, "Listen I am going to go powder my... something."

She turned away from the table and walked towards the bathroom leaving the three men in the main room. They all looked at one another as they could hear her talking to herself down the hallway.

"Angels, demons, Hell, freaking apocalypse. What's next? Jesus riding a unicorn?" The door to the bathroom slammed shut behind her.

"Should we tell her about the unicorn?" Sam questioned.

Dean made a face and shook his head slowly.

In the bathroom Lana turned on the water and looked for a washcloth. After finding one she put it under the tap, wrung it out, and started to clean her face and hands. The warm water felt good after the cold rain she had been standing in for hours. She thought back over the last few hours as she stared absentmindedly into the mirror. It had taken some doing, but the boys convinced her to come back to their place - of course not mentioning it was creep-tastic bunker- so that they could talk about this out of the rain and cold. Lana had grabbed her bag, throwing the gun in it, and pulled it on her back. The entire bag was as wet as she was and she wondered if she would ever feel dry again.

Next to the Beast was a pristine black Impala, a beauty if she ever saw one. She opened the door to the Beast and threw her bag on the floor of the passenger's seat and turned to face them.

"I guess I will follow you there."

Sam touched the hood of the Beast, "Maybe I should drive with you so you don't get lost."

Or run away, She thought.

Lana shrugged and kept the passenger's door open for him as she walked around the front and slide into the driver's seat. She absentmindedly patted the steering wheel with one hand and then the dashboard, like she would a dog that was greeting her after a long day away. Sam slipped into the seat next to her, noticing what she did but staying quiet about it.

"It's not too far," Sam said, "And I think we can find you something to wear until your clothes are dry. I mean, they may be a bit big and all but-"

"Dude, I don't care if all you have is a party dress from 1895, I will just be happy to not be in these clothes anymore."

The Beast rumbled to life as the car next to her did the same. She turned up the radio just a bit and was happy to find a Stevie Ray Vaughn song playing. She backed out and followed the impala through the rain.

Sam chuckled, "It's like being in the car with Dean."

"What is?"

"Oh, it's nothing. This is just the sort of stuff we listen to in the car. Dean doesn't really divert from what he likes too much."

Lana nodded, eyes on the road, "I kind of do the same. I guess I am a little stodgy in the way. Blues, Classic Rock, Bluegrass, you know."

"Bluegrass?" Sam asked, sounding amused.

"Don't knock it! Bluegrass may not be your style, but what I love about it is the stories. Those songs aren't some shitty, run of the mill "My baby left me" or "I am going to go party" crap. They tell stories about fears, hardships, about real people. It's the history of a people and place in music form."

Sam nodded, "I guess I never thought of that. You seem pretty serious about stories, huh?"

Lana shrugged, "That's all we are in the end- stories. When we die and go on to whatever, our stories stay here. That's our legacies. That's all we've got."

"True."

Lana slide her eyes over towards Sam and quickly looked back to the Impala, which was now turning left.

"I wanted to be a writer before...Adam. I love history, folklore, and stories. That's what I was in school for- History and Creative Writing."

"I was in for Pre-Law."

"You ever want to go back? Regret leaving that?"

Sam chuckled, "That is a hard question to answer. I did, for a while. But no. Not anymore. I am on the path that may not be pretty, but it is meant for me. What about you?"

"Naw. It was a nice dream for a while. You know, it was normal. But it wasn't for me. I felt like I could learn everything I was paying to learn on my own. If Adam hadn't of died, I probably still would have dropped out."

"You still writing?"

Lana gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, "No. Not since Adam."

There was a silence for a few moments until she spoke up again, "You can change the radio station. Don't worry, I won't tell Dean."

Then they pulled into this...place. If that is what you can call it. The garage was drool-worthy, but she didn't seem to notice. It was so much to take in- just the enormous size of it made her head spin. When she had asked Dean about the bunker while they were standing in his room, he told her that he would explain that later, after they wrapped their minds around what was happening now. He handed her a pair of sweats, a black shirt, and a flannel. They were all big on her, but she rolled sleeves and pant legs and made due.

Now she was staring at herself in the mirror, trying to understand what the hell was happening. This all felt too much, and she had a feeling there even more to learn. After hearing all about Adam she felt like she couldn't handle much more...and then that angel popped into existence next to her. Even though he looked like a small town lawyer, she had a feeling that there was more to that story.

Lana turned off the water and sat on the floor with her head in her hands. The worst part about all of this is that she believed every single thing that she was told. All of it. And if it was all true - if they all weren't completely mad- she wasn't sure what she stepped into here.

A knock at the door broke her thoughts, "You okay in there?"

"Oh, you know, just having your run-of-the-mill mental breakdown in the bathroom."

Dean chuckled from the other side of the door, "Yeah, had a few of those."

There was silence for a moment before he spoke up again, "Mind if I come in?"

"Sure, come join the festivities."

The door opened and Dean entered. He saw her sitting on the floor with her back to the wall and took his place next to her. Lana rolled her head towards him and gave him a look.

"Is this how you get all the girls? Tell them crazy stories about the Devil and angels in trench-coats?"

Dean smirked, "Naw. Cheesy pick-up lines. That's my thing."

Lana cracked a smile that soon faded, "I don't know if I can handle all of this, man. It's so much. I wanted to find Adam, or at least find out what happened, but this? This is Ted Nugent crazy."

"I know, and I won't lie to you- there is crazier stuff we haven't told you- but do you really think you can go back to your life as if all was normal after this? Don't get me wrong, we aren't forcing you to stay on and help, but I really think there is some weird, woo-woo reason we all got slammed together like this."

Lana didn't respond, but she had been thinking the same thing herself.

"I don't know you well, or at all really, but I can tell you can handle this. You wouldn't be here if you couldn't."

He placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort, something she appreciated. Lana took a big lungful of air in, rolled her neck, and stood up.

"You coming?"

As the two walked out of the bathroom together, they could hear Sam and Cas talking.

"She had physical burns from her dream?" Cas questioned. Sam had obviously told him the story while the two of them were gone.

"That is...curious."

"So, what's happening?" Sam asked.

Lana and Dean entered the room as Cas turned towards them. Lana felt something deep inside of her that told her that the man in front of her was something more. It was this gut feeling, something that told her to take a step back and not look directly at him. She had to fight that feeling as she looked back into his eyes.

"You saw the Cage, and Lucifer and Michael?" He asked in a monotone voice.

"Sure, I guess. If that is who they are."

"And your hands?"

She held them out for the angel to see. He took one and Lana had to fight the almost overwhelming urge to rip it back. She couldn't see his true form or power, but she sure as hell felt it.

"Hellfire," Cas said, "These burns are from Hellfire."

He let go of her hand and turned back to Sam as Lana and Dean sat down.

"Any ideas, Cas?" asked Dean.

The angel's face had a pensive, almost annoyed look about it, "No. I have never heard of this before. How she could have such a strong psychic link as to connect her into the cage is beyond me. And I don't understand why this is happening now, why not before? I agree that this is no mere coincidence. Something more is at play here."

The three men talked to one another about what had happened while Lana sat in silence. She was lost in her own world, one that was trying to take it all in and accept it without completely understanding any of what was being said. But she knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was her new normal. There was no going back from here.

Lana cleared her throat, "Boys, it's been real fun, but I haven't slept in 3 days and if I don't get some sleep now I am liable to become a little slap-happy. Can I just pick this up in the morning?"

"Sure, of course," Sam nodded, " Do you remember where your room is?"

"I do. I'd say good night but, what's the point? It was nice meeting you Angel man. Please don't woosh behind me again."

As she stood up to leave, Dean called to her, dug in his back pocket and held something out," Here...this is yours. I grabbed it before we left." He said sheepishly.

Lana snatched the bra out of his hand and shoved it into her back pocket, "Next time you need a bra, we can go shopping for one. You don't have to steal it. You're like a what, 34B?"

Dean crossed his arms and mumbled to himself as Sam laughed, Cas - who she still didn't get a read on- stood looking confused. She turned on her heels and walked down to the bedroom she was using.

The room was sparse, but the blankets were warm, the bed reasonably soft, and the door locked. Lana considered that a win. She checked to make sure that the lock worked and curled up under the blankets. She thought that after all she had heard and seen that sleep would be hard to come by. 15 minutes later she was proven wrong as she fell into a deep slumber.

She heard the noises before her eyes opened. Screams, crackling, crashes. Next, the smells of smoke and gore came to her. Then, the voices.

"She's back!" Said one, sounded pleased, the other growled.

Lana knew where she was immediately. Her heart thumped once and she scrambled to her feet, staring down the two men she had briefly met before. This place was what the word horror was modeled after. Lana felt nothing but fear and panic as she stood in the cage facing down two of the strongest and most zealous creatures in existence.

She looked at the one who was smiling, "Lucifer," she whispered. The man bowed mockingly. She then looked back at Adam- or the man wearing his skin- who looked as if he was crazed with anger, "Michael."

Lucifer cocked his head to the side, "Oh goody! My new favorite pet came back for a visit."

He took a step closer and Lana wasn't sure if that motion or Michael's stony glares scared her more, " I was hoping we'd see you again."


	5. Chapter 5

Lana sat there feeling like a bug that was about to have each leg torn off slowly. She wanted to run- hell, she wanted to fall to the ground screaming until her lungs gave out- but she fought the anxiety and panic.

Focus. Breathe. We got out of here once, we can do it again, she told herself, hands fisted to keep from shaking.

Lucifer was balancing on the balls of his feet, crouched over her while Michael leaned against the cage with a scowl.

"What's up with broody over there?" She asked, proud that her voice didn't break.

"Broody is trying to figure out how you keep showing up here. We haven't have visitors in, oh -"

"Seven years?" Lana stood up and shuffled her feet back a bit, trying to gain any space that she could.

"Seven years, that's right. Although, down here time moves differently. Feels much longer, you know." He stood up and stretched. It was such an odd movement for Lana to watch- it seemed so human even though he was anything but.

"Now, how did you know it had been that long?" Lucifer asked.

Lana dodged the question, afraid to give away too much information on who she was. She nodded her head towards Michael, "Does he speak? Or is he more like the bulldog that just attacks and can't think much for himself?"

"You dress like a Winchester," Michael sneered.

She looked down at the clothes that Dean had let her borrow, "They do enjoy their flannel."

Michael's face perked up, "So you know them?"

Lana's stomach sank as she realized that knowing the Winchesters may not be the best thing she could have divulged in this moment.

"Of course she does, brother! It would only make sense that she did. Look at her- all coffee and snark- she is just their type!" Lucifer let out an emotionless laugh, "Little girl, don't you know what happens to every single person who get's tangled in their web? They die. Often horrifically. You made a poor choice in friendships, my dear."

Lana scowled at his condescending tone. Lucifer or not, no one talked to her like that and got away with it.  
" Little boy," She seethed back, "maybe I shouldn't be taking advice on life from an angel stuck in this hell-hole."

Lucifer's amusement dropped and Lana wondered if her big mouth had gone too far this time. He took a step towards her and somehow seemed much bigger than he did before. The entire space around them buzzed with static and energy. He leaned in close to her face - only inches from her, and spoke in a low whisper.

" You are nothing more than a gnat in this game, child. You better understand your place soon or you may find that there are much scarier things out in the big, bad universe that don't care for that tone."

The two of them stood toe to toe glaring at each other. Lana didn't know what would happen next but she assumed it was going to hurt- a lot. She didn't doubt that Lucifer could tear her apart, put her back together and tear her apart again in less time than it took her to tie her own shoe, but if she backed down now - showed the fear that was threatening to drown her- she would be their plaything for as long as she was stuck here.

"He knows you," Michael said in a confused tone, breaking the tension that had swarmed around them.

Lucifer and Lana both turned their heads and looked at Michael who was now grinning like a fool.

"Oh, this is too much! I can feel it- a memory and familiarity that is starting to bloom. The vessel knows her!"

Lana thought that the worst thing that could happen to her was to be tortured by the Devil, but seeing Michael's wicked grin spread across Adam's face was more horrible than any physical pain that could be inflicted on her.

Michael continued to smile, a sense of sick glee coming over him, " Did you know he was still here with us? Oh, it was a surprise at first, I admit, but apparently this cage contained more than just the two of us. The vessel used to squirm and fight from time to time, but he's calmed down over the years. My, this the first time I had heard from him in so long, I just wasn't sure!"

"His name is Adam, you pathetic ape."

"Lana. That's your name, isn't it?"

Lana's body grew cold as the anger drained out of her. He knew her name, he knew Adam's thoughts. What else could he find out?

"It's a pretty name, to be sure. Is that why you are here, Lana? To save precious Adam?"  
Lana's mouth refused to open. She started to tremble as she stared Michael down.

"It is, isn't it?" Lucifer's smile returned, "Isn't that sweet?"

Lana was ready to leave, ready to wake up and be as far away from these two as possible. She dug her fingernails into her palms hoping that the pain would do the trick.

"He won't get out of here. He will be with us forever." Michael cooed.

"Sam made it out." Lana retorted, "I can get him out too."

" Sam had angel backup. What does Adam have? A tall chick with attitude? Face it- you are no one, Adam is no one, and nobody cares about what happens to people like you." Lucifer cocked his head to the side, "You don't even know how you got here, how do you expect to make it out with Adam, no less?"

Lana lost it. Her anger rose up like a tsunami and crashed into every pore of her body, "He is someone to me," She growled.

"And who are you? You're a moment, nothing more. You will be forgotten."

She should have held back, shown zero emotion and let it go. Maybe she could have woken up and slipped out of here unharmed, but one look at Lucifer's smug face after he said it and Lana's arm rose before she could think to stop it. She slammed her fist into Lucifer's face as hard as she could.

The act didn't seem to affect Lucifer much - he didn't even move - but Lana felt like she had just punched a brick wall. Her hand gave out and she heard the crunch of bones as they shattered but she didn't let the pain show through her face.

"Bad. Move." Lucifer took two steps forward, wrapped his hand around her throat and lifted her into the air.

Lana grabbed onto Lucifer's arm with her good hand and tried to kick her way out of the chokehold he had her in but it was useless. He moved her closer to his face and whispered to her.

"Michael and I have gotten bored torturing one another, but you'd be a welcomed distraction for us."

He threw her across the cage and she slammed into the bars. Lana tried to stand to her feet but before she could Michael was behind her with his hand grasping her hair. He ripped her up and laughed at her desperate attempts to get away. She knew it wouldn't do much but Lana refused to go down without a fight ,so she slammed her foot onto the top of his.  
"Stupid, stupid girl," Michael said, making Lana uncomfortable with the closeness of their bodies.

"Screw you!" She yelled hoarsely.

Michael shoved her away and she spun around to face him- whatever happened, she would look these bastards in the eyes while they did it. Michael took his hand and squeezed it into a fist out in front of him. Lana didn't understand what he was doing until her entire throat felt like it was being crushed. She fell to her knees and gasped for air that wouldn't come. Michael lifted his fist into the air and Lana felt herself lift off of the floor of the cage.

She was in midair with Lucifer sauntered up and stood below her, " Ready to burn, darlin'?"

Lana smelled smoke and singed hair as she flailed in empty space.

She knew she what was going to happen next.

The ice cold water made her scream, Lana opened her eyes and tried to stand up, slipping and falling in the process. A pair of strong arms caught her and she thrashed to get away from them.

"Lana! Lana! You're okay"

It took her a moment to understand where she was. Her eyes took in the scene around her and her brain tried to process it as best as it could.

She was in a shower, balled up in the corner with all of her clothes on, and freezing cold water was spraying on her from the showerhead above.

Cas was there, but the other two were nowhere to be seen. He kneeled down, being careful to give her space, and spoke to her in a low voice, "I know it's hard, but you have to breathe. You need to come back to this reality. You aren't there anymore."

She held her broken hand against her chest like a wounded animal and stared at the angel in front of her. Her chest heaved, and tears found their way out. She hated to cry - even more so in front of people- but she was so traumatized that crying seemed to be the only thing that felt real. She slumped down even further and let the water from the shower mix with her tears.

Cas stood up and turned off the water, "I'm sorry I had to wake you up like this, but you have to understand...you were smoldering."

A flash of what happened crossed Lana's mind, " Lu-Lucifer started to set me on fire," she chattered.

Cas's face darkened, "I can't heal the memories but I can heal your body, if you will let me."

Lana didn't look up, her hair was still drenched and in front of her face. She nodded and tried to stand, but she slipped again. Cas reached out and took her under her arms and helped her out of the shower. He pulled a towel that was sitting on the sink and wrapped it around her.

"May I carry you?"

Lana shook her head, "Just help me walk out of here."

Together they made their way into the main room. Cas directed her to a black leather sofa and Lana gladly flopped down on it. The second she was on the couch, the bunker door swung open and Sam and Dean rushed down the stairs. For moment, they did nothing but stare at her. She imagined she looked like a drowned poodle.

"What happened?!" Sam asked as he looked around for a blanket. Not finding one, he threw off his long sleeved flannel and put it over it. It didn't really help, but Lana appreciated the effort.

She had to chuckle, " Flannel is what got me in trouble in the first place," She said through chattering teeth.

The three of them looked at her for answers, but she was too cold and exhausted to formulate full thoughts.

Cas stepped in, "After you to left, I smelled something burning. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from so I started to look. When I entered the hallway I could smell it coming from Lana's room so I broke down the door and found her...She was…" He looked over at Lana and held her stare. She knew what he was about to say.

"What, Cas? Spit it out." Dean demanded.

"She was smoldering. Not on fire, but her body was hot to the touch and her clothes were smoking. I think her hair was about to go up."

Lana touched her hair and felt the dry, brittle signs of a haircut in her future.

"There's more. She was floating. She looked like he was being hung by an invisible rope."

That caught Sam and Dean's attention, both of their eyes widen and they sat down - Dean on the armrest of the sofa and Sam on the floor.

Lana found her voice, " I was being strangled, it was like freakin' magic. Just dangling there in the sky."

"Whatever is happening in your visions is seeping out here, Lana." Cas stated.

She nodded, " I know." Now that she was calm, the pain she had been too on edge to feel started creeping in. Her hand throbbed, back and stomach ached, and she didn't even want to think about what her neck looked like. "Cas, you mentioned healing me."

"Yes, but I will have to touch you in order to do it."

She chuckled, " I promise not to hit you."

Lana pulled her hand away from her chest and held it out. It was so mangled and discolored that she had a hard time looking at it, "Can you start with this?"

"What the hell happened to your hand?!" Dean questioned, sliding off of the arm rest and onto the seat next to her for a closer look.

"I, uhm, I punched the Devil. In the face."

A silence fell over the four of them. Cas, Dean, and Sam looked at her with varying levels of disbelieve.

"You punched...Lucifer...in the face." Sam said, as if he was trying to understand what the words meant.

"He's kind of a dick. I'm sorry! I have a temper, okay?"

"He once exploded me, I understand." Cas spoke up.

She slid her eyes over to Dean and Sam to gauge their thoughts. Sam looked shocked and slightly amused. Dean just looked plain proud.

"So, hand?"

Cas took two fingers and placed them on her forehead. A warm tingle rushed over her body as she breathed in. In the moments between breathing in and out, she was healed.

Her hair was another story.

Lana moved her hand and neck, and found herself to be in no pain whatsoever.

She gave Cas a meaningful look, "Thank you."

Lana explained to the men what had happened to her. She skipped over some of the more violent details, but she filled them in on what Michael had told her and the threats they had made. When she finished she waiting for someone to say something, but they all seemed lost in their thoughts.

"So, you two have some big fans down in the hot-box." She said as she stretched out, the motion reminded her of the similar one Lucifer had made and she quickly pulled her arms back in.

"Shit." Dean finally said, " I don't know what to do about this. I really don't. All I know is that you need sleep, sleep without Michael and Lucifer using you like a human pinata. Let's start with that."

"She seems to slip into these visions with the aid of dreams, if we could remove the dreams I think that would do the trick." Cas thought out loud.

"I'd be willing to try." Lana responded, thinking about how nice it would be to sleep for longer than an hour, "But is it okay if I sleep out here? I don't want to be alone right now…"

Saying that made her feel like a child, but there was absolutely no way she could go back to sleeping in that bedroom alone. Not tonight. She didn't meet them in the eyes when she asked, instead choosing to concentrate on a spot on the floor.

"I'll get you some more clothes," Dean slid off of the couch and walked off.

"I guess I'm on blanket and pillow duty," Sam gave Lana a supportive smile.

That left Lana with Cas, both of them sitting in awkward silence. Lana took off the flannel shirt that Sam had wrapped her up in, peeled off the wet towel, and tried to wrestle off the long sleeve flannel she had been wearing in the Cage. She stared down at the scorch marks that had appeared on the shirt and was reminded of what had just happened.

"You're frightened." Cas stated plainly.

"I'm freakin' falling apart," She whispered, " Michael said that Adam was still there, inside. Like, he could see and feel everything. Cas, Michael knew my name."

He nodded, "I assumed as much."

"Do you think Sam and Dean know?"

"I really don't know. It is something we have never spoken about. They seem to feel too much guilt over it to discuss."

Another silence took over as Lana mulled over what Cas had told her.

"I'm not great at comforting people." He said, looking off into the distance at nothing in particular.

"That's okay, most humans aren't very good at it either. I think you did a good job today."

Cas looked over at her with a small, proud smile.

5 minutes later Lana had new clothes on, a blanket and a pillow, and she was sitting back on the sofa. Cas explained that he would touch her forehead, like he did when he healed her, and that she would fall into a deep sleep without dreams. One of them would be in the main room at all times, just in case something happened.

Cas reached out his hand but before he could touch her Lana grabbed onto his wrist, "Just for the record- I kicked Michael too."

He smirked at her and touched her gently between her eyes.

She slept without any visions.


	6. Chapter 6

Lana woke up 12 hours later with a crick in her neck. For a moment- one, small glorious second- she thought she had fallen asleep on her sofa back at home and disregarded everything that happened over the last few days as nothing more than a dark dream.

A snore near her broke that idea in half. She opened her eyes and sat up, seeing that she was still in the bunker and that Sam and Dean had both fallen asleep in room with her. Dean was sleeping in a chair, his head propped up on his hand and Sam had fallen asleep sitting on the floor at the end of the sofa. By the way his head had fallen backwards on the armrest, Lana assumed he was the one snoring. She had no idea how long they both had been there but from the looks of it they never left that night.

As quietly as she could, she slipped out from under the blanket and tiptoed her way into the kitchen. If she was going to face this day, coffee was going to have to flow like the Mississippi. It was only when she entered the kitchen that she realized she had no idea where anything was. She sighed, ran her fingers through her still burnt hair (while reminding herself that a haircut was in order) and started to look through cabinets for coffee.

After five minutes of searching and finding nothing, Lana let out a frustrated prayer, "Holy coffee god who art in Heaven, where the hell is this coffee?"

"Next to the coffee pot, on the little cart by the door."

Lana almost jumped out of her skin. She turned to face Cas who had, once again, simply appeared out of nowhere.

She pressed her hand against her heart and tried to breathe normally, "Dude, you have to stop doing that."

"I've heard it is rather unnerving."

"That's a good word for it," Lana walked over to the cart and located the coffee, as she scooped in the grounds she looked back over at Cas, "Want a cup?"

"I don't drink. Or eat. I did, once. I thoroughly enjoyed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches."

Lana chuckled as she filled the pot up with water, "Who doesn't? It's a classic."

"I assume at least half of the human population doesn't as peanut butter is not a common food throughout the world."

Lana finally realized that Cas was pretty much always going to be this way and that was perfectly okay with her. After turning on the coffee pot she sat down at a small table and looked up at him, "Thank you for helping me last night. I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I'm not very good at this sharing and caring sort of thing but I do want you to know how much I appreciate what you did for me. Not only the whole 'saving me from the Devil' deal, but also for helping me sleep. You're good people..or..angel. You get the point."

Cas sat across from her and folded his hands, "You are welcome. Did you sleep well?"

Lana noticed that he seemed a little concerned, that was something she was not used to.

"I did," she assured him, "it's crazy, but I didn't dream. Like, at all. I can't remember a time when I wasn't having insanely vivid dreams. It was weirdly relaxing."

Cas squinted and his face furrowed into a frown, "What do you mean when you say your dreams are vivid?"

She shrugged, "I've just always have really intense dreams. I can't remember a single night when I didn't have one. They are so colorful and realistic, even if they are about crazy events with vampires or zombies. They always feel like actual happenings."

Lana got up and grabbed a mug. She could feel Cas staring a hole into the back of her head but she tried to ignore it as she pour herself the coffee.

"You dream like this every night?"

Lana took a sip and nodded, "Mmhmm. It was really intense when I was little. My mom thought I was some sort of nutcase. Every so often I would dream of something really weird that would seem to come true, but that kind of stopped happening after a while."

Cas wanted to say something, she could see that as plain as day but for some reason he was holding back.

"What is it?" She prodded.

Cas opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Sam and Dean entering the room. Lana knew she missed the moment but that she would ask him again when they were alone.

"Thanks for the coffee," Sam mumbled to Lana. It was fairly obviously that the brothers did not sleep as well as she had, but neither of them complained about it.

"No problem. Listen, how long did you guys stay out there last night?"

"All night. It's not a big deal, we had to do some work anyway." Dean replied from the fridge.

She looked over at Sam, "Did either of you get any sleep?"

"Oh, yeah," Sam cleared his throat, "Yeah, enough."

"So, not at all."

"Basically," Dean sat down and looked over at her, "But we don't sleep that much anyway."

"I believe they were worried about your safety and that is why they could not sleep," Cas said in an attempted whisper.

"I got that,Cas," Lana was starting to really warm up to this socially awkward angel, "Guys, that is incredibly kind of you to worry about me but I can't be the reason you aren't sleeping."

Dean dismissed her words with a small wave, "It's fine. We just wanted to make sure you are okay." He looked her in the eyes, a move that Lana was not wholly comfortable with, "So, are you okay?"

Lana went over the events of the other night in her head. Every time she thought about it a panic that fluttered in her chest, a feeling she wasn't sure would just disappear. Was she okay? No. She wasn't. There was absolutely nothing okay with this situation. It all felt so wrong and even though she was the one going through it, it still didn't feel real. Last night she had been beaten and almost set on fire in freakin' Hell. How does one even begin to comprehend that?

"Well, I could lie and say yes but I don't see much sense in that. I'm alive and breathing, I'm drinking coffee in a weird bunker- which you still have to explain to me, by the way. I'm not okay, but I'm going to keep on truckin' because it is the only thing I really know how to do."

Dean slapped her on the back and stood up, "Good. It's a place to start. Now, I am making pancakes and we are all going to eat them, okay?"

Lana looked over at Sam and made a face. Could Dean even cook? He seemed like a take-out sort of guy.

"He's actually a weirdly great cook, but don't tell him that." Sam whispered.

After a few moments of cajoling, Lana got Dean to let her help fry the bacon while he worked on the pancakes. She hated feeling like she was doing nothing and now that the coffee was kicking in, she felt the need to be productive.

She stood next to Dean in silence, both of them paying attention only to the task at hand. Sam and Cas were talking quietly in the background, about her she assumed, but beyond that it was completely quiet.

It was nice.

After a few minutes Dean leaned over and whispered to her,"I'm sorry we weren't here last night when you got hurt."

"It's okay. Cas was surprisingly helpful, and I was smoking, like about to explode into flames, I don't think you would have been able to touch me without burning yourself."

"Yeah, I guess I didn't think about that."

Lana stopped pushing bacon around and looked over at Dean who was currently flipping a pancake. It was such an normal thing to see that it felt odd given the conversation at hand, "I get that you are worried about me, and the whole guilt trip you're taking right now? I understand that more than anyone else, but I am telling you that there was nothing you could have done. You're good. Stop blaming yourself for everything."

Dean met her eyes again and Lana forced herself to stare back into his, "You think I blame myself for everything?"

She turned off the burner and pulled out the last of the bacon, " We're more alike than you'd like to think. You're not the only one who buries shit under their sarcasm and a leather jacket."

Dean walked over to the table with a comically large stack of pancakes, three plates shoved under his arm, and some forks. Lana trailed behind him with the bacon. The three of them ate while Cas looked off into the distance still lost in thought. At first their conversation was labored- no one wanted to talk about last night- but soon they found a groove talking about small towns they had been too, weird people they knew, and bands they all hated.

Asia seemed to be the clear winner of that last conversation.

Lana pushed her plate away as she drank the last of her cold coffee, "I really need to do something about this hair, got any scissors laying around?"

* * *

30 minutes later Lana stepped out of the bathroom with her own clothes on and a short,choppy hair cut. She was working on the last few buttons of her shirt when she heard Sam's voice raise to a yell.

"No. NO! We are not going to go ask him for help."

"Why not? You think we have any better choices here?"

She stopped walking and listened to the two brothers argue.

"I don't know, Dean, but that is not an option. You want to bring her to a person who could potentially kill her? For answers? No!"

"Listen, we don't have shit. We have no leads, no answers, and this isn't getting any better. You expect her to stay here forever? To have Cas put her down every night just so she can sleep? You think this is what she wanted? We have to find answers any way we can, and this is the only thing I can think of."

Great, Lana thought, once again they are talking about me.

Cas chimed in, " Dean, I agree with Sam. I know you want answers but there is more to this than you see."

"Cas, you know I'm right." Dean said with an edge to his voice, "We have to ask him."

The three launched off into another shouting match about her as she stood in the hallway. She buttoned up her last button, ruffled out her hair with her hand, and stomped out into the room.

"Excuse me!" She yelled, the room going silent as she did, "Hi, remember me? Lana- Girl Who Is Seeing Hell? Yeah, well I am not sure if y'all are aware of this or not, but it's 2016 and you don't get to decide what happens to me just because you feel like it.

"You don't know what's out there, Lana." Sam said.

She whipped her head around and glared him down, " You think I don't understand the gravity of this situation, Sam? I just got the shit kicked out of me by Lucifer and Michael, okay? I was being strangled and set on fire! What happens if the next time I slip into their world I just don't slip out? What if I end up in the god forsaken place forever? I get it. I get that there is big, bad, and ugly out there that I don't comprehend but I refuse to let you decide what happens to me just because you think I can't handle it."

She turned to Cas and Dean, "That goes for you two, too. I am not the damsel waiting to be saved, so either treat me as an equal or show me the door."

Cas nodded, "She's right. This is her life and her decision."

Lana sat down on the armrest of the sofa, "Let's start with you, Cas. Earlier when we were talking you looked like you wanted to say something to me. What was it?"

Sam and Dean both stood stoically with their arms folded while Cas spoke, " Your dreams, I don't believe they are dreams at all. The way you described them was strange enough, but something happened when I tried to put you to sleep. Something different."

"Different how?" Lana leaned closer to Cas.

"It wasn't as simple as it should have been. To keep you from dreaming should have taken me no time at all. I should have just been able to turn it off but instead, it felt like I had to weave a safety net in your mind. There was no switch, no off button. I had to make something to hold that part of you back. It wasn't normal, and then when you told me about your vivid dreams it made me wonder."

"Wonder what, Cas?" Dean seemed to be paying close attention to this. She guessed he had no idea about what Cas was telling them.

"I think you're psychic, or have some form of ability that allows you to touch the future and to connect with others through dreams. I believe this has something to do with how you are making into the cage. Somehow it's connected. I don't understand how it all fix together though. This situation is highly unorthodox. No book will have the information on this in it because it has never happened before."

"See? It's just more reason to call him!" Dean interjected, "I don't like him any more than you do but he knows everything."

"Damn it, Dean! It's like giving the game plan to the enemy!"

"Would someone just tell me what the hell we are fighting about?!" Lana yelled, once again having to raise her voice to get anywhere with these two.

Dean turned away from a glowering Sam and looked at Lana, "There is someone I think who can help, but he isn't exactly a friend. On more than one occasion he has actively worked against us or tried to kill us. The thing is that the bastard seems to know everything and I am betting he knows something about what is going on here."

"Yeah, and by calling him in and telling him about you, you risk being used by him for whatever messed up plan he has cooking this time. Lana, you'd a tool to him, something he can collect and manipulate until he deems you useless. Then you die. Horribly." Sam was pleading with his eyes for her to listen to him. It was reasonable, what he was saying. She could see that he felt it was true, but in the end it wasn't his decision or Dean's, but hers to make.

"Cas, what do you think?"

"He isn't trustworthy. Even if he has the answers you are looking for, they always come at a price. I know you want to save Adam, but at what cost?"

Lana thought for a moment, "Is there an easier way to do this?"

Cas shook his head, " We've found nothing yet. This would be the easiest route, but not the best."

Lana played with the hem of her shirt, a motion which reminded her of her first dream with Adam and how he had done the same. Seven years was such a long time for him to be waiting for someone to save him, especially when he thought no one was bothering to try. She stood up and looked at the three men in front of her.

"I need five minutes to decide."

She walked towards her room, the place where she had almost died less than 24 hours before. Truthfully, she had been avoiding it since this morning but now she needed some time to think. The door was splintered and hanging off of the hinge- a reminder of how awesomely powerful Cas was. She gazed over the mess that was before her- kicked off sheets, pillows on the floor, the bed frame pushed over to one side- and was hit with the reality of how crazy the moment must have been for Cas when he found her. God, She was strangling in mid-air with smoke filling up the room, kicking and gagging for air. She couldn't begin to imagine what that even looked like.

But this was her new reality- Hell, Vengeful archangels, psychic connections that could kill her, and Adam.

Adam.

What would he even be like if she got him back here again? He'd still be 19, but a 19 year old who remembered everything that happened to him over the last 7 years. She had grown older but he would be the same. How would she go about explaining that? Could he even survive up here anymore? She had been so focused on saving him that she never took a moment to wonder what his life would be like once he was saved. Would he thank her? Or would he view his new life on par with Hell?

"I'm sorry if it seems like we are trying to control you," Sam broke her train of thought as he leaned against the door frame across from her, his entire body taking up most of the space, "We're not trying to. It's...weird having you around. Not bad weird or anything. but we aren't used to having someone else here. Normally we have to make those split second choices for the people who need to be saved, but you're not one of them. I get the feeling you could save yourself and everyone else here if you needed to."

"I get it," Lana kicked a chunk of wood away with her foot, "I grew up alone, making all of the choices I needed to. I know it's hard to let someone else have that control- even if it is theirs in the first place. But Sam, you and Dean have to understand that I am not someone you need to save. I'm not asking you to do that. I'm asking you to work with me to figure this out. You have to stop thinking of me like a porcelain doll that will shatter and realize that I may not have dealt with the same things you have, but I have had a hard life and I am still standing."

Lana walked over to the bed sheet and touched the scorch marks on it, "You have to let me be strong."

Sam lifted off of the door frame, picked up a pillow from the floor and placed it back on the bed, "Okay, that's fair." He thought for a moment and a small smile found its way to his face, "For the record- I knew you were strong the moment you called Dean a bitch. That was priceless."

"He pissed me off. Hell, he still does a little," Lana replied, trying not to laugh at the memory of Dean's face.

"So, know what you're going to do?"

Lana bobbed her head and motioned him out of the room. Half way down the hallway Sam grabbed her arm.

"I gotta know, did you really slug Lucifer in the face?"

"Right in his smug, stupid mouth."

"Lana, I think I love you."

She shoved Sam forward as he laughed, "Shut up."

* * *

The four of them stood outside in the cold. Fall had taken a turn towards winter and the dead leaves that still clung to the trees were shaking and rattling violently in the wind. The moon was hidden somewhere behind a layer of thick clouds, but the headlights of the Impala gave them enough light to keep working. The night was quiet, not even the animals or birds daring to whisper.

Cas kept watch, standing away from Sam, Dean, and Lana but close enough to jump in and help if needed. Lana stared at the herbs and the strange bowl full of things she would rather not look at and tried not to feel weirded out.

"Sam, are we Devil worshippers now or just garden variety Wiccans?"

"Neither, this is how we call the guy."

Lana shook her head slowly. For some reason she thought a phone would be involved instead of 14th century grimoires and wormwood. Why she honestly believed it would be easy was beyond her, but she was starting to feel a little wrong about her choice to get help from someone who had to be summoned.

Sam leaned in, "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. We can leave right now."

Lana pulled her leather jacket closer around her and felt grateful for her decision to pack a wool beanie when she left Wisconsin, "Let's just get this over with."

Sam stood next to her, his shoulder brushing up against hers. Together they watched as Dean poured the herbs and some of his blood in the bowl, spoke words in Latin, and lit a match. The match burst into a large flame as it hit the contents of the bowl and Lana held her breathe for the unknown that was about the happen.

From behind, Lana heard a deep, raspy voice say two words.

"Hello Boys."


	7. Chapter 7

When Lana was in 10th grade she had a substitute teacher that she could never seem to forget. His name was Mr. Lockhart and he taught her History class while Mrs. Klein was on maternity leave. There was something off about him- the way he carried himself, the insanely expensive clothes he wore, and how excited he sounded when talking about genocides- that always made her feel a little off. Once the class was done she would gather her books and rush out of the room.

One day, Lana had to stay back in the library to get some work done. As she passed a classroom to get to her locker she head voices coming from the locked room. Curious, Lana peaked into the window and saw Rebecca Lee talking with Mr. Lockhart. She could barely make out what they were saying, but there was a sick feeling stirring in her stomach as she spied on the two standing awkwardly close to one another.

"What do you want?" Mr. Lockhart asked Rebecca as he leaned against the desk with a smirk on his face.

Rebecca wasn't facing Lana, so she only got bits and pieces of what she was saying," ….popular...Drew Morgan...money."

Lana would have scoffed about it all, the idea of Rebecca being popular and dating the most popular guy in school was wild, but she was suddenly taken back by Mr. Lockhart kissing Rebecca on the mouth.

"Ho-ly crap," she whispered to herself, not sure what she was watching. A door slammed shut down the hallway and that was her cue to rush off.

The whole ordeal seemed pervy and ridiculous, but it actually happened. Rebecca's parents came into a crazy amount of money, thrusting her into popularity and the arms of one Drew Morgan. It wasn't the only weird thing to happen that month Mr. Lockhart was there. The math teacher was picked up for a tenured position at Yale, Justin Blacklad - our resident school stoner- could smoke weed in the hallway and no one seemed to notice or care, Sally Winston was magically transformed overnight into a teen version of a Victoria Secret's model, and Mark DiLaz? He just went plain crazy. Started jumping around like a frog and claiming he could speak to aliens, but I guess that was only fitting since he shared his girlfriend's naked photos with the entire football team.

As soon as he came, he seemed to disappear. Maybe Lana should have forgotten him like everyone else seemed to but his memory stuck with her.

And right now, this very moment, all of that came rushing back when she heard the unmistakable voice of her creepy 10th grade sub coming from behind her.

Lana made a confused face as she turned around, "Mr. Lockhart?" It was definitely him, still as put together and creepy as ever, "You summoned my 10th grade substitute teacher?"

Dean walked forward while wrapping his hand in a cloth that seemed to appear from nowhere, " Who the hell is Mr. Lockhart?"

Lana looked back to the man standing stoically and noticed that a small smile had started to curl up from his lips, "This weirdo is. He taught my class in 10th grade- pretty poorly I might add- and was a major creep."

"No, this is Crowley."

Lana shook her head, "His voice, I recognize it."

Crowley lazily checked his watch and looked towards Lana, " George Washington High school, huh? I almost forgot about that. It was a little experiment of mine, one that I think worked extremely well. High schoolers always have this ability to only think in the now and their wants are so easy."

Sam spoke up, "Are you telling me you pretended to be a teacher to collect the souls of teenagers?"

"What are you talking about? He was just this major perv who I caught kissing a classmate in a classroom."

Cas appeared next to her, Lana found that she didn't jump this time. Maybe she was getting the hang of it, "No, your Mr. Lockhart is actually Crowley, a crossroads demon. They make deals, exchanging what you want for your soul. You have 10 years before he comes to collect. The kiss you saw? That is how he closes the deal."

"Ah, it's King of Hell now. I've upgraded since the last time I saw you, Lana."

She made an impressed face and received a scowl from Cas, "I'm sorry, but that is an impressive title. I guess that would explain what happened to that jerk, Mark."

Crowley thought back for a moment, "The frog boy? Yes, that one was especially creative. I have to admit to liking his girlfriend's creativity."

Lana crossed her arms to protect herself from the icy wind that had just kicked up. The trees had started swaying back and forth creating a moaning soundtrack to this night, "What happened to them? The ones you made deals with? Did they die?"

No one answered her question. Even so, she knew the answer.

"Well, it has been fun catching up, but if this is all I have been summoned here for I think I would rather get back to the little party I had going down south," He straightened out the cuffs of this jacket, "You'd love it, Lana. Feel free to visit any time, I don't bite," He made an amused face, "Well, that may have been a lie."

Lana just glared him down, still digesting the fact that people she knew were now dead because of their stupid choices. Dean held up his hand, "Wait. We actually need...your help."

Crowley looked interested, "Really now? Whatever for?"

Dean looked annoyed. Even though this was his idea, his plan, he obviously was not okay with it. His face darkened and he waited a beat, hoping that maybe someone else would speak up. They didn't, of course. This was his idea, he was the one that had to do it.

"Lana here," He pointed to her and she wished she could bleed into the background, not to be seen or heard, "is having some...issues. I get the feeling you might be able to help her with them. Or give her the information she needs."

"Vague but go on." Crowley was loving this. It was obvious he knew he had the upper hand here.

Dean gritted his teeth and breathed out a little, "She is able to psychically connect with Michael and Lucifer in the cage. Her spirit or astral whatever goes there and she can't stop it. It's becoming a problem."

Crowley gave Lana a once over. Men had done that before, leered at her or scanned her body but this didn't feel the same. It didn't feel sexual. Instead, it felt like he was sizing her up, trying to figure out if they were messing with him.

"So, you're the little mouse that has been scurrying around in the cracks. Interesting." Crowley continued to stare her down. All she wanted to do was hide behind the flannel, muscled wall that was Sam.

Sam seemed to pick up on her uneasy, He stepped forward, moving slightly in front of her, and crossed his arms, "What are you talking about?"

Crowley looked up at him, annoyed that he even spoke, "Hell has an alarm system, if you will, and this little thing tripped the wire when she got into the cage. We knew something was happening, but we couldn't figure out where. Now I know."

"Do you have any information on what is happening?" Cas looked bored as he spoke. Lana wondered if this was run of the mill for him.

"How could I? You've given me scraps of information and ask me to make a meal from them. You boys are obviously holding back. I can't help you if you won't divulge the state secrets."

Sam looked over to Dean, "I told you this was a bad idea."

Lana stepped out from behind Sam, "It happens when I am sleeping-"

" _Lana_ ," Dean hissed, afraid of what she would give away. She silently told him to back off and she continued.

" I dream that I am there, in that place, and they can see me too. But it isn't a dream, they can touch me and…" Lana swallowed, her hand started to ache with the memory, "I can feel them too. My body stays where I fell asleep but if I get hurt there, where they are, my body here gets wounded too."

Crowley directed his question to Cas, "Have you done something to stop this?"

"I had to set up a wall, or a net of sorts to keep her from dreaming. I don't know how long it will last. I think she's psychic."

"Of course she is, you idiot. But she is so much more than that. Did any of you morons bother asking her what happened _before_ her first episode?"

None of them moved. Crowley shook his head, "Lana dear, what were you doing before you first met the lovely monsters at the end of the book?"

"Uh, nothing, I guess. I was reading. It was a bad day so I went home from work early and read."

"Before that. Something happened on that day to trigger this. Think."

"I went to Adam's house," Pieces of ideas where starting to from in her head, somehow this all fit together, "I hadn't been back there since...well, you know."

"Adam Adam? Michael's Adam?" Crowley prodded.

Lana nodded, "Yes. But that's it. Nothing more happened that day. It was the anniversary of his disappearance and I went there because, oh I don't even know! I just did."

"Exactly." Crowley started to walk towards her, continuing to stare at her like something that needed to be examined, "That, poppet, is what we call the _triggering_. An event that triggers the internal power to awaken fully. For some people it is a near death experience- drownings usually- but for you it was different. I don't think it was coincidence that you went to his house on that day. No, it was meant to be. Anniversaries are powerful personal magic times. That added with the emotion you must have been feeling triggered this. "

"What is _this_ exactly?" Lana challenged.

"You're a Dream Walker. You have the ability to walk into other dreams and realities with ease. You find the little cracks and slip right in. Oh, there are not too many of you lot left, not after that nasty Witch Burning times. If you learn to control it, use it, you'd be amazed at what you could do, you can control a person's entire reality, if you so choose."

"Why is she in the cage, Crowley?" Dean growled.

"My goodness, you are a dim group. It really is simple-"

" Because of my connection with Adam, isn't it? He is reaching out and I just happened to be the hand he found." Lana finished for him.

"Bravo. But instead of reaching out, he is drowning you in his reality. You're not meant for that place."

"Okay, so let's say this Dream Walker thing is true, can you figure out how it is happening or how to stop it?" Sam questioned.

Crowley thought for a moment before looking to Sam, " I can."

"But?"

"You won't like how it is done."

"I didn't like getting the crap getting beat out of me in Hell." Lana interjected.

"In order to understand how this is happening and how strong the connection is, I have to possess her. That is the only way I can see from her viewpoint what is happening."

Sam, Dean, and Cas all straightened up and looked ready for a fight.

"That is not happening, Crowley," Cas struck back.

Crowley shrugged, "I haven't even gotten to your least favorite part yet."

"Tell me," Lana stated, not looking over to the men she knew wanted to shut her up and keep her safe.

"I will do this for you, but you owe me a favor once your little gift is fully functional."

"Okay, time to go," Dean grabbed on to Lana's arm and tried to pull her, "Sam, you were right. This was a horrible idea."

Lana stood firm and continued to stare at Crowley. He could do it, she knew he could. If he could help her control this Dream Walking whatever, maybe she would have a shot at saving Adam, at saving herself. No one else seemed to have any idea on how to do this.

"I agree to the terms." Lana stuck out her hand as she felt Dean's grip tighten around her arm. He whipped her around and she felt the full blast of his anger radiating out of him. She touched his hand and whispered to him, "Trust me."

Dean's hand slid down her arm as he stormed off to the Impala. She heard the driver's door slam loudly as he turned on the car. Sam and Cas both looked at her, saying nothing.

Lana knew she would hear an earful when she got back but she turned to face Crowley again, "I agree. But, we can shake on it. I'm not kissing you."

"Whatever you wish, darling," Crowley reached out and clasped her hand in his, "Tomorrow I will text the place to meet, that's when we will begin."

He stepped back and smirked at Lana, "It has been a real pleasure."

Just like Cas, he blinked out of existence in front of her, leaving her with a two brooding brothers and a silent angel.

The bunker was only a mile or so away, and Lana couldn't stand to sit in the car for even that little of a time with the three of them throwing metaphorical daggers at her. "I'm going to walk back," she murmured, quickly taking off. She didn't slow down to look at Dean as she past the Impala.

Lana found the dirt road leading to the bunker and wrapped her arms around her chest to keep out not only the cold, but the fear that was seeping in. She had just made a deal with the King of Hell, there was no way that could end good. She knew that, understood what she had just done, but she also knew that this was the only path they had left to take. If Crowley could show her how to control this, and teach her how to be even more powerful with it, she had a shot at saving Adam. That was important to her, it meant something. Her life up until this point had very little meaning, so she grabbed on to the first bit of it that she could find.

Lana heard a crunching noise behind her and turned to find Cas standing fairly close, "You shouldn't walk back alone." He didn't offer up any other than that as he started to walk next to her.

"Are you mad at me?" Strangely, she found that she cared if he was.

"I'm not sure, Lana. I don't like that this is where we are- where we have to be in order to get anything done. Making deals with demons? If only you knew the road this has taken us down before. We have all ended up bloodied and losing people we care about because of it. But, I understand why you did it. I do. I just wished it wasn't the choice you made."

She looked up at the night sky and tried to wring warmth out of her coat by pulling it closer. Now that she knew how upset everyone was with her it made the night feel colder, "I have a feeling Sam and Dean want to kill me."

"They don't want you to end up hurt. Or worse. They would prefer - as I would- that you ended this little adventure in one piece and were able to walk back to your life.", He shrugged off his coat and put it around her shoulders. The funny tan thing engulfed her, made her feel a lot smaller than she was but she appreciated the gesture, "Concern and caring don't always come out in compassionate, kind ways. Sometimes it comes out as anger, but don't think it is anything less than concern for you. They care about what happens to you, they fear for your safety."

Suddenly, two bright headlight blinked to life behind them and illuminated the road ahead. Lana knew without turning that it was the Impala with two really, really strange brothers inside of it. It drove slowly, inching along a few hundred yards behind them. She wondered if Dean had ever driven her this languidly in his life. She knew he was angry with her- fuming, actually- and there was no doubt in her mind that Sam felt the same. Shoot, she half expected them to shove her into the trunk and force her to stay away from Crowley but they didn't. The car rolled along at a distance shining light on the path ahead so she could see where she was going.

 _Because they care._ The thought was a bit overwhelming. She didn't know how headlights and trenchcoats could mean so much, but they did. And as she walked back to the bunker in silence with an angel to her left and two brothers in a car behind her she felt the first tinge of fear that comes with realizing that she cared right back.


	8. Chapter 8

Lana caught the phone that was tossed to her and looked at the screen.

 **1344 N. Juniper Rd. Council Grove, KS. 9 pm. Don't be late. X.**

She placed the phone down on the table, still refusing to meet Dean in the eye. It had been a tense evening and morning to say the least. When they all returned to the bunker, no one had spoken to her. Cas helped weave the fence that help her in this world and she fell into a cold, blank sleep on the sofa. When she woke, the entire bunker was silent. There was no clocks ticking, no radios playing, or people shuffling around. It felt eerie, like she was the last person on earth.

 _Maybe they left me here,_ She thought as she pulled the thin blanket over her head. The old sofa creaked and groaned as she sat up- the first sound she had heard all morning. Lana stretched out a little and decided to see if she really was here alone. She got as far as the large table that took up most of the room when Dean turned the corner, looked at her without saying anything, and threw her the phone.

She knew she made the right choice given the circumstances, but she also understood why Dean was so upset. Having heard the stories he told about what happened to to him and Sam -and she knew there was more stories he hadn't told- he definitely knew more about this crazy world than she did. But she didn't regret her decision. This was about Adam and she felt like she had wasted enough time already.

"I know you're pissed," She finally looked up at him and instantly wished she didn't- it was obvious he had perfected his glare, "But I'm not trying to be some pathetic martyr. I know it may seem like it, but I'm not. I am just trying to get Adam back."

Dean didn't respond. He simply took his phone and turned to walk away.

"Hey!" Lana reached over and grabbed his arm, "Don't be like that. If you're upset, just yell at me or something! But don't give me the silent treatment!"

She had seen Dean annoyed, confused, and worried. She had seen Dean feel guilty more times than she could count over the last few days, but she had not seen Dean angry and it was an emotion that she was not prepared for. His face completely hardened and his jaw flexed as if he was trying to keep in fire that was threatening to get out. His whole body became stiff. But it was his eyes that were the worst of it all. They darkened and seemed to change in color. She could see the seething through them and she suddenly became very aware that she was alone in a room with a man she didn't know much about beyond the fact that he could kill her in a moment.

She took a step backwards involuntarily, and then another. He followed her movements until he was standing nose to nose with her. He grabbed her shoulders, his fingers pressing down too hard, and pushed her up against the support column. She was panicking internally but the fear froze her body. A thought wormed its way into her mind, asking her if she was about to get beaten by a man she was growing to trust and respect. If once again she would be a chew toy for dogs that didn't seem to be playing the same game she was. She would fight back, there would be hell to pay of he took a swing at her, but the idea that he would broke her heart just a little.

Even though her back was resting against a concrete column, Dean didn't move away from her. He stayed uncomfortably close to her body and kept his hands against her shoulders. She looked down and tightened her hand into a fist for the fight she was sure was coming.

"Look at me," He said, his voice barely containing the emotions it carried. When she didn't look up he took her face in a hand and forced her too, "I have lost my family. I have lost friends that became family. I have lost people I only knew for days. I have lost my brother, I have lost Cas. I. Will. Not. Let. You. Die. Do you understand me? I will not let you die for some crusade to save someone who we might not even be able to save. I will not burn one more body. I won't."

He took a hand off of her chin and pointed a finger into her face, "I am not going to watch you die, Lana Hughes."

With that statement still fresh in the air he stepped away from her and walked away. She was so certain that she was going to have to fight her way out of this situation that the action confused her for a second. That fear that she was going to have to protect herself from someone she cared about still lingered, most likely left over from watching Michael beating the crap out of her while looking very much like Adam. She shook off the last remnants of it as she yelled across the room at him.

"What would you do if you were in my shoes?"

He didn't respond.

Things were a little better with Sam. Although he was visibly upset with what was going to happen today, he was at least speaking to her. Cas didn't seem as upset but with him it was always hard to tell what he was feeling. The day dragged on and try as Lana might, nothing kept her from feeling itchy and nervous. Time seemed to move quickly and extremely slow at the same time, something she was sure needed to be studied by some scientific group. Finally, it was time for them to make their way to Council Grove. The drive would take around three hours and even though she thought about taking the Beast instead of piling into the Impala with all of the tension that would inevitably be there, it made more sense to take just one car. She sat in the backseat with Cas and for the first hour, no one said a word. They were all lost in their own worlds and listening to a soundtrack of music that never really seemed to change (not that she minded). But this silence was too much for her. She was already queasy from her own nervousness and the brooding wasn't helping.

"I know everyone is mad at me, I get it. I'm not asking you to pretend like you aren't. But I'm nervous as hell and sitting in this car not talking isn't helping. Can we please just talk about something? Anything? Birds? Bees? Cigarette Trees?"

Sam looked back at her and gave a sad smile but it was Cas who spoke first.

"I took care of bees once."

"Oh God, Cas. No, please let's keep that story tucked far, far away." Sam said as he rolled his eyes.

"I'm not sure why you are upset about it. Bees are marvelous creatures with so much purpose and drive. Do you like honey?" He directed the last question to Lana.

"Uh, yeah. I do." She was curious, "What do you mean you took care of bees?"

"Awww don't get him started on it!" Sam moaned from the front seat.

"I don't see what the problem was. It is a perfectly respectable profession and I didn't notice you complaining about the free honey you were gifted."

Sam turned around and faced Lana, "Yeah, but I did mind when he ended up naked, on top of the Impala, covered in honey. That is something no one should see."

The conversation vaulted off from there and Lana found herself listening intently. Soon, she found that her nervousness was melting away along with the distance to Council Grove. Dean did not speak a word the entire trip. His hands gripped tightly to the steering wheel and his eyes stared at the road ahead.

When they pulled up to the address they were given, Lana stared at the house in disbelief. It looked too cute, too sweet and idyllic to contain the King of Hell. The small white house had green shutters around the windows, well-kept flower gardens around the base, and a small porch with a swing. She wondered how a house like this could hold anything besides the American Dream.

Sam must have picked up on her confusion, " He sure knows how to pick 'em, huh?"

She nodded, not sure what to say. She wanted to ask them what she should expect but after the emotional rollercoaster she put them all on yesterday, and Dean's outburst this morning, she decided against it.

 _You got yourself and everyone else here into this. So just shut up, shape up, and deal._

Sam looked back at her and gave her a serious look, "Ready for this?"

"Let's get it over with."

Car doors opened as they all piled out. Dean stood next to the car as Lana got out of the back seat. She still felt on edge around him and tried to walk away as fast as she could. He grabbed on to her wrist, this time lightly and with no anger. She looked up at him and waited for him to say whatever it was that was obviously bothering him the entire ride here.

"I would do exactly what you are doing, if I was in your shoes." His hand dropped from her wrist and slide into his jean pocket.

Lana felt for him. Yes, he was an ass sometimes and his temper needed to get in check, but his fear of losing anyone that he cared about - even someone that he met three days ago- seemed to override his logic. She knew that fear is a funny thing, even though you can't see it or touch it, fear can control everything you do. She also had a feeling that he didn't apologize much if he could help it.

"I know," She replied. She looked at the house again. It still felt all wrong, kind of like an finding an orange inside of a banana peel, " Do me a favor and don't leave me alone in a room with that creep."

"Oh, don't you worry sister, there is no way any one of us is leaving your side."

When they reached the front door, they found that it was already cracked open and swung without much effort.

"Dramatic much?" Lana mumbled.

"The entire place is warded against...well most everything. I guess Crowley felt he could be a little dramatic as he was this safe." Cas said to no one in particular.

"Does that mean it's warded against angels?" She asked back. Part of her found amusement in the fact that the words "warded" and "angel" were used in the same sentence.

"No. Apparently he wasn't too worried about angels finding out about this, but demons shouldn't be able to enter. It seems fairly safe."

"So...do we go in or…" Lana didn't get to finish the question. Suddenly all the lights in the house flickered on and a voice came from the living room.

"Are you lot going to stand out there discussing or get the hell in here so we can get this over with? I have other things to do, you know."

The living room was just as quaint as the outside of the house. White carpenting covered the floor, the walls were slathered in a buttercream yellow, and soft furniture was placed tastefully around the room. A large fireplace finished it off. Lounging on one of the chairs- somehow managing to look comfortable and powerful at the same time- was Crowley. Lana walked in first, the rest of the group lagging slightly behind her. Crowley motioned to a seat across from him and she sat down, sinking into it.

"So, shall we just dive in?" Crowley asked, folding his hands in his lap. She hated his stupid face, how calm and amused he seemed.

"How do I know that you're not going to do something weird, or take over my body entirely?"

"Because if he did, we'd burn his body and shove him back to hell," Sam smiled, "He's oh-so-obsessed with the person he is currently wearing."

Crowley grinned, and it was not in a pleasant manner, " True, as our large friend has so eloquently explained I do like this body. Besides, I have no use for you as you are. But as you _could_ be? Well, in order to get there I have be a good boy and help you now. You have my word."

Lana snorted, "That's comforting, I suppose." She looked quickly over at the three men standing near the door. Cas and Sam both looked pensive, Dean uncomfortable. He gave her a quick nod to let her know that they wouldn't leave her alone. She sighed, ran her hands through her hair and settled back, "Okay boss, let's do this."

Crowley sat forward, "This may be a little unpleasant but you mustn't fight it. Don't pull back." He held out his. She took it in hers and tried to push back the anxiety that was edging around her body.

It happened quickly. One moment she was staring at Crowley and the next she was being invaded by red smoke. It filled up her mouth and sunk into her bones. She felt like she was being crowded out by it, like her whole body was being filled to the brim. There was nothing but this smoke, the world outside simply did not exist any longer. She had to push herself not to fight, to allow it to happen. Where there once was red, not there was only darkness and Lana felt herself falling into it.

"Open your eyes, Lana."

She did, not even knowing that they were closed in the first place. She found herself sitting in her little house back in Wisconsin. It was nighttime and the two of them were sitting on her sofa like they were old friends.

"How did we-"

"We aren't actually back in your charming abode, this is a safe place in your head," He looked around, "Although I am not sure why. Either way, this is where we are going to start."

He stood up and walked to a door, motioning her to follow. She had never noticed this particular door in her house before. Crowley seemed to pick up on her confusion almost as soon as she felt it, which made sense as he was technically inside of her. That thought did not give her any comfort.

"Before we do this, I want to have a discussion with you. Away from the rodents."

She didn't like where this was headed, "About?"

"You."

Lana rolled her eyes. She had only known this guy for less than two days and she was already sick of the riddles and half answers, " What about me?" she asked in a sugary sarcastic tone.

Crowley leaned against the door, " Do you honestly think that those boys out there care about you? Let's pretend that they do. Let's say that you're not just some pawn in the strange chess game they seem to be playing, do you think that they can somehow protect your or stop what is happening? Do you truly believe that you will be safe once this is over? And has it ever occurred to question why they have taken such a shine to you?"

"Oh gee, the King of Hell cares about my wellbeing. How sweet."

"Darling, I couldn't care less what happens to you. Drop off the face of the bloody earth if you so choose. What I do see is potential. I see someone who has a gift that can be used, that is powerful. Tragically pathetic, but still powerful. I've seen the dark corners in your mind. I've seen the things you try to hide. I know it all and yet, what surprises me the most is the amount of untapped and raw power that simmers beneath it all. I just think it is a shame to waste all of that on some silly vendetta. Understand this now- if you stay with them and win, get your boy-toy back, you still have to deal with the fact that there is a door that connects you directly to the cage and for the rest of your life you'll be a prisoner to the fear that if Sweet Ol Cas doesn't lock you up tight at night, that the monsters will seep through."

"And what, you can stop that from happening?"

"In fact, I can. And more. You don't seem like the kind that wants grand things, all you want is a little peace and quiet. I can give you that. I can give you what it is you are looking for. You want to forget about how mommy dearest treated you? You want to move past the fairly ridiculous mistakes of your past? Work with me. You'll get everything you want and the knowledge that your power can keep you from the pain that others would inflict on you."

"All for the low, low price of what? My soul? No, I think I'll pass."

Crowley shrugged and looked unimpressed, "I'll keep the offer open." He reached for the handle and turned it, light started to pour from around the sides of it, " Ask your friends about Bobby, or Ellen and Jo. Ask them about Kevin or Charlie. See what happens to the people that care about them and then decide if it is so worth it. People tend to disappear around those three. At least I protect things that are important to me."

Lana thought about thought about the outburst that had happened this morning, the edges of sadness that she saw seeping around the brothers and the angel. She knew that while Crowley was most likely being dramatic about the deaths of those people, they had died and etched out deep scars inside of the Winchesters and Cas. Would she be the next? Another story told to some poor sap that managed to run into them?

She didn't have time to ponder these thoughts. Crowley opened the door and motioned her in. She walked into the unknown with the King of Hell behind her. She was blinded by the light that seemed to surround them. She tried to squint and cover her eyes with her hands but was still unable to see anything around them.

"Where are we?" She yelled over the whooshing noise that had started filling her ears. She heard the door shut behind her and felt Crowley's hand on her shoulder, "Trust me, little mouse. You're going to do just fine."

She turned to question him when she smelled the smoke and felt the heat on her skin. Familiarity seeped into her pores as the world around her started to melt into view.

Her mind screamed obscenities at Crowley as the bars came into view. _He tricked me! Oh my God, I am going die here while he watches!_ She couldn't believe that she agreed to this, that she trusted him enough to end up here.

"If you can open doors, you can shut them. Now you're going to learn to do just that." Crowley whispered in her head.

She stumbled onto the floor of the cage while Crowley seemed to gracefully step down. She looked up at the two men that were standing opposite of her and frantically tried to will her way out of this one.

"Oh look, brother. Our pet brought along a friend!"

She couldn't decide if they looked more excited to see her or Crowley.


	9. Chapter 9

The two angels stalked towards her, each step filling Lana will fear. She backed into Crowley, who was annoyingly calm. He held her arms and pulled her closer to him.

"You have a choice here: Panic and you die, or you find the door out of here."

"There is no door, Crowley. If there was, don't you think I would have found it by now?" Lana's body was starting to tremble. She heard what Crowley had said but it felt so easy to give into the panic that was washing over it. Strangely, it felt almost calming to just give in and let it all happen.

Crowley's hands tightened around her arms, " Darling, if you let yourself fall into that mindset, I might just kill you myself. Figure. This. Out."

Lucifer was hardly paying attention to her, his focus was on Crowley. Michael, on the other hand, was focused solely on her. She was betting that the smile that was spreading across his face was not there for good reasons.

"Crowley, King of Hell," Lucifer pretended to bow as he spat out the words, "How kind of you to visit. I've been meaning to have a little chat with you."

"Oh? About what?" Crowley's voice didn't even so much as warble.

"You know, how you took over Hell, claimed the throne, and keep me in here," Lucifer shrugged, "Nothing major."

"I'd love to stay and chat, you know I would, but I am afraid little Lana and I have pressing matters to attend to. Perhaps another time."

Lucifer and Michael were now only feet away from them. Lana was racking her brain trying to figure out where the hell this door was that Crowley kept babbling on about but couldn't seem to find anything that would help them out in here. It wasn't like there was an Exit sign flashing in the corner.

"I insist you stay," Lucifer thrusted his hand towards Lana, as if he was going to shove her out of the way. Instead, his hand slammed into a invisible wall that was inches away from her face. She jumped back but as she was still being held by Crowley, she didn't didn't move too far. Lucifer's face twisted with fury as he slammed a fist against the unseen shell that seemed to surround Crowley and herself.

She turned to face Crowley, who still had a smug look on his face, "I wouldn't walk in here without some sort of protection but I wouldn't suggest lingering- these two are idiots but that doesn't mean they aren't strong."

"Maybe if you stopped talking in stupid riddles and just told me what to do, we could get out of here!" Lana had to shout over the sounds of Lucifer beating on the shield. She quickly looked over to Michael who was weirdly quiet. He didn't even seem to be looking at her. Instead, his head was down and he was mumbling something to himself.

Crowley let go of her and she turned to face him, "For a pretty little thing, you sure are dense. Think, child! In order to get here, you had to open a door to this place. You slithered into a small crack and found your way here. If you want to get out, how do you think you would do that?"

The cage was starting to fill with the buzzing of electricity. She could see that the air around Lucifer was shimmering like a sidewalk on a July day. She didn't know what he was doing, but it didn't seem like the time to stick around and find out.

"I tried to get out! It didn't get me anywhere!" She yelled.

"No, you panicked. There is a difference. Calm down and figure this out. Make a door, a crack, anything! Find where you want to go and make it happen!"

Lana's hair was starting to stand on end. She could tell by the look on Crowley's face that it was now or never. She had a feeling that he had a way out of here and would probably leave without here if it came down to it. She closed her eyes and thought hard, thought of any place that felt good or safe. Nothing came to mind. Come on, just think of something! She yelled in her mind. Finally, she thought of the bunker. She let the details of the building come to mind- the walls, sofas, floors, anything she could think of. She drowned out the incessant banging noise that was coming from behind her as she focused on the one place she felt safe. Her left hand lifted up as if by its own accord and made a slashing motion across the side of the cage. The banging stopped, as did the buzzing noise. She opened her eyes to see a gash of white light pouring into the cage from where she had made the motion. She looked over at Crowley who looked pleased.

"Good job, ducky. Let's get out of here." He stepped the light and disappeared. Lana was still shocked at what she had done and it took her a few seconds to convince her feet to start walking. She rushed towards the light.

"My pet," Lucifer called out. Lana hated herself for stopping, but she did. She turned around to face him.

"I look forward to seeing you again," He placed his hands against the shield and smiled, "and I will see you again."

Lana opened her mouth to respond when a voice from the past stopped her cold.

"L-Lana?"

She turned her gaze towards Michael and felt her knees sway. This was not Michael. His face, once hardened and cruel, was now timid and broken. His eyes were awash with tears and his hands were balled up into fists. No, this was Adam. Her hand automatically reached out but she quickly put it back down. This wasn't right. It was some sort of sick game.

"Adam?" She whispered his name quietly, fearing that if she said it too loud that he would vanish into smoke.

"You're here. How...how are you here?"

The light behind Lana was starting to dim but she didn't care. It was Adam. The man she had spent years looking for was here, in front of her.

"I can't explain it but I am coming for you, okay? I am going to get you out of here. I promise! Just hold on a little longer."

Adam's face twisted in agony, " Don't leave me again."

Lana broke, tears running down her face and daggers of guilt stabbing into her chest. She couldn't leave him here, not like this.

"Letting the vessel speak," Lucifer broke the silence, "Now that is a cruel form of torture I had never thought of before."

"Screw you," she growled.

"If you stay long enough, you just might."

She glared at him, wishing he would just die already. The light behind her was faded down to a flicker now.

"I love you." Adam's voice was hoarse, the words tumbled out like an urgent prayer.

She shook her head, trying to figure out how to get him out of here. Suddenly, the shield dropped and Lucifer was almost on top of her. She lurched backwards and felt a pair of solid hands grab her by the waist and tug.

There was light and then there was nothing.

Lana landed on her hands and knees in the bunker. Crowley was standing in front of her looking horribly irritated. She blinked at the gray concrete, trying to make sense of where she was.

"That was stupid," He pulled her up to her feet, "Do you know nothing of this world you live in? You don't hesitate, you act."

Lana wanted to explain why she waited back. She wanted to tell him about Adam but she knew he wouldn't care. He wasn't here to care. He was here to help her so she could help him. End story. She shoved the part of her that was falling apart down into her mind and shook his hands off of her.

"Sorry."

"Yes, well I suppose in the end you were able to perform the task asked of you, even if you did muck it up at the end."

Lana gritted her teeth, "Thank you for helping me."

He laughed, "A polite ape! How nice," He looked around at the bunker with a judgemental eye, "So this is where you feel safe. What is this place?"

Lana took it all in, "It's my home."

"Strange choice of housing," He gave the room one last look, "Anyway, What you just did? That was the easy part. Jumping in and out of dreams and realities will be the simplest thing you learn from me. It only gets harder, and in some cases more painful, from here on out. If you truly want to rescue your shining knight, you will have to work for it."

Lana nodded.

"Well now, I suppose that is enough for today. Are you ready to go back to Moose and Squirrel and that annoying twat of an angel?"

"Let's get out of here."

Crowley put his hands behind his back and walked up to her, "You know, I heard what the boy said to you, and because I am inside of your soul, I know how you truly feel about him. It's a pity, isn't it? That he loves you and you don't love him?"

She scowled at him, "Shut. Up."

"I see you, Lana. I see you for what you really are."

"Fuc-"

Lana wasn't able to finish her thought. The red smoke that engulfed her when she was possessed was back. She could hear screaming, but she didn't know where it was coming from. Light poured in around her. Not the white light that she had seen before, but a pale yellow light that reminded her of light bulbs. The screaming was getting louder, closer. She could feel pins and needles in her hands and feet, and even though she was just standing moments ago her body felt as if it was sitting on a chair. The screaming became unbearable. All she wanted was for it stop but she didn't know how to make it end.

Open your eyes.

The thought passed quickly through her mind but she flung herself up and tripped over something hard in front of her. Her eyes unfastened and she realized the screaming she heard was from her own throat.

She was finally back.

"What did you do to her?!" Sam came up behind her and guided her to her feet. Lana hadn't said anything in the last few minutes. Instead, she listened to the four men in the room argue and threaten one another.

"I did nothing to the girl, as I am sure she will tell you once she is able. The possession takes its toll, as does the work she did."

Sam moved Lana to the chair and sat her down on the armrest. She stared blankly out at the room around her. Was this reality? Or was it just another dream world? Sam bent down, put his hands on her shoulders, and looked her in the face, "Are you okay?"

Her shoulders started to hurt. She was reminded of the bruises that she had gotten earlier today from Dean. Yes, this was the real world. Funny how pain is sometimes the only thing that can remind people of that.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." She finally spoke. Her face twisted as she looked over at Crowley, "I'm going to throw up. Excuse me."

Lana walked quickly out of the room and outside. She needed air and she needed it fast. Her feet nimbly flew down the stairs and she fell to the grass by a bush. Her whole body was shaking and she couldn't tell if she was actually going to be sick or if she was in the throes of panic. She knew one thing for sure- She hated Lucifer and Michael for being evil, but she hated Crowley even more. She hated that he knew her secrets, her past, her soul. She hated that he was the only one who could help her. But what she hated the most is that he saved her and she didn't hate him as much as she wanted to.

She sat up and tried to forget the way Adam looked at her and what he said to her. She tried to fill her mind with anything else but his eyes kept finding their way back to the front of her mind. She left him. Again. She was such an utter disappointment.

Castiel came up behind her. She knew it was him from the rustling of his ridiculous coat that he refused to take off. Must be an angel thing. He sat down beside her in the grass and stared at the house next door.

"Do you know what they are doing over there?"

The question surprised her. She wiped her eyes and looked at the house. Besides a few lights on inside, she couldn't see anything, "No. I don't."

"The woman is texting a man that she is having an affair with. I will spare you the sordid details, but she is being very candid about what she wants and where. The man is upstairs getting ready for a business trip that is actually a cover for him to see his own lover, who is a man"

"That sucks."

"Indeed. What sucks even more is that they both are in an affair with the same person, but they don't know it. "

Lana looked back over to the house, "No. I mean, is that even possible? You're kidding, right?"

"I am afraid it is true. He is going out to meet his lover for the weekend, and she will meet the same man over the week. It is all very scandalous."

"That is some Lifetime Movie shit right there," Lana bit her lip for a moment, "What do they see when they look over here?"

"They see an empty yard and a dark house. The spells put on this place were well done."

"Crowley seems pretty good at doing that."

Castiel fought with a question that didn't want to be asked. He looked over to her and cocked his head to the side, "Did he hurt you?"

"No. He actually saved me at one point. I almost wish he would have hurt me...it would be so much easier to figure out his motive if he did."

Castiel nodded, "He is a very complex being, but I am glad to hear that he did not cause you harm. I do believe that he will protect you if you continue on this path with him. He seems to keep those that he deems usable safe. Are you going to continue on this path, Lana?"

"I have to. Now I know I really don't have a choice. I know…" Lana broke down in tears for what felt like the thousandth time this week.

"What happened in there?" Cas seemed concerned.

"I'm not sure I can physically say it without breaking down."

"You can show me."

Cas held out his hand, offering her a way to unload her burdens. She took it and allowed him to see all that had happened. The entire event flashed in front of her like a movie. When she heard Adam's declaration of love, she felt even more guilty for not feeling the same. When it was over Cas didn't release her hand. Instead, he pulled her close and let her cry on his shoulder. The two of them sat there until Dean and Sam came stomping out the door ten minutes later. Crowley had disappeared into the night.

"She's okay," Cas said before either of the brothers could speak, "but I think it is time to go home. We have all been through enough."

Lana stood up and walked towards the car. She didn't let her gaze move from the grass as she passed the boys. She opened the car door, slipped into the back, and looked out the window. Cas silently slipped beside her and they waited for the brothers to finish whatever conversation they had started while she walked away.

"Do you need to sleep?"

Lana looked around her, "It would be nice, but there isn't much room. I'll be okay."

Cas shrugged off his coat without much of a fuss. He folded it into a pillow and put it on his shoulder, "You're family now, Lana. We take care of one another. You deserve some sleep."

Lana sunk into his shoulder and closed her eyes, "Can you tell the boys what I showed you? I can't deal with talking about it right now."

The angel promised he would and put her into a dreamless sleep, as he had the last could of nights before.


	10. Chapter 10

Two weeks passed and no one had heard from Crowley. At first, it was peaceful. For a week Lana forced herself to forget about everything that was going on and just live. She woke up (still sleeping on the sofa), showered, ate breakfast, and puttered around the bunker. It was big enough that for a while she was satisfied with what she found in there. Some days she would read through as many books as she could, even when she didn't understand what they were about ( Knights of Hell? Come on.) she still stored away the information in her mind. Other days were spent in the shooting range, playing with guns that looked as old as her car. She even found an old Peacemaker which swiftly became her favorite to shoot. The rest of the time she was in the garage, or what passed for one anyway. The entire floor was covered in vintage cars and motorcycles and, as much as she loved The Beast, she found herself taking a shine to a 1940's Indian Scout. It was little things that made her smile that week because for once she could convince herself that everything was normal. She didn't see much of the boys that first week, as they were out on a hunt ( Frost Giant in northern Minnesota, which she still had a hard time believing) but Cas would pop in every night to make sure she was okay and to help her sleep. Sort of like an angelic babysitter.

By the second week she was bored out of her mind. It wasn't that she had read all of the books or saw all there was to see, but walking around in circles without seeing the sun for more than an hour a day was really taking its toll. Even though the boys were back and she had someone to talk to, she still had that itch to leave. By Friday night, she had enough.

"Okay, I'm going stir crazy," she threw the greasy rag down and stood up.

Dean looked up from the motorcycle they were working on and frowned, "Okay?"

"No, you don't understand. I am literally going to lose my mind in here. I've not been ten steps away from the bunker in weeks. It's a really nice bunker and all, but dude- it is still a freaking bunker."

"It's just not safe out there right now." Dean said as he handed her a wrench.

Lana took it and tossed it into the toolbox, "When is life ever safe?"

"Crowley can't get into the bunker, but he can get you out there. We haven't heard from him in two weeks. God only knows what he is cooking up right now. We can't risk it." He turned back towards the motorcycle with the assumption that the conversation was over.

"I don't care about Crowley, and you can't keep me locked up in here like a prisoner!" Anger, her old friend, started bubbling up again. Now that she wasn't exhausted or mentally drained she could feel her old self coming back.

" I'm not keeping you locked up. I am telling you that you can't go."

Lana's face tightened as she looked down at Dean's head, "Or what?"

"Excuse me?"

She crossed her arms, "What are you going to do? Ground me? Send me to my room? Tie me up and throw me into the weird dungeon thing you got behind your files?"

Dean put a hand on the motorcycle and stood up, " Why are you acting like you're 13? And how the heck do you know about the room behind the files?"

Lana threw her hands up, " I'm not acting like I am 13! And I know about your creepy room because you left me here for a week and I had nothing better to do than look around!"

"How many times do I have to explain that it is _dangerous_ out there? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Or worse? You need to wait until we know what Crowley is up to!"

"You don't get to decide these things for me, Dean! You don't! God, how many times do we have to go through this?" Lana gritted her teeth as she spoke. This had been the constant fight since they met- Dean telling her what to do and expecting that she listen, and her doing what she wanted, even when it went against his stupid wants.

"If you walk out of here, I will chase you down, throw you over my shoulder, and lock you in my room."

"For the love of-" She was too frustrated to think. She pointed a finger a Dean before giving up and turning, "That sort of sweet talk might win over the chicks at the bar, but I swear to God I am going to punch you in the mouth."

"Love you too, sweetheart!" Dean called after her.

Lana flipped him the bird before she slammed the door shut. The reverberating bang of the door made her smile, she hoped it annoyed him.

She stalked off towards the kitchen to find something to eat. Sam was already making a cup of tea when she entered but she didn't bother looking at him, instead she pulled open the fridge and grabbed the pie that Dean had specifically told her not to eat.

After finding a fork and slamming down the pie on the table, she looked over at Sam who looked more amused than anything.

"Dean getting under your skin?"

She shoved the fork into the pie and put a big forkful of blueberry pie into her mouth, "How could you tell?"

Sam somehow understood her, even with a mouthful of pie, " He can be a real dick sometimes."

He sat down next to her and didn't mention the fact that she was eating the pie like a heathen, " What did he do this time?"

Lana stabbed the fork into the pie and swallowed, "Apparently I am not allowed to leave. Oh, I am not a prisoner or anything but if I try to walk outside of this bunker Mr. Broody will drag me back in here and lock me in his room. That's not rapey or anything."

Sam chuckled, "Yeah, that sounds about right. He's pulled that a few times with me, too."

Lana stabbed the pie again with the fork, taking out her anger on this seemed to help, " I know he isn't trying to be a douche, but he is a being a major one."

Sam pushed his mug of tea towards Lana who took a big swig to wash down the pie. Even though she was partial to a good pie, trying to eat one in a sitting was not her best thought. She pushed away the pie tin as Sam stood up to make himself another cup of tea.

"He's overprotective. Always has been. I'm not making excuses for him or his actions but sometimes that drive to protect takes over and he doesn't think clearly. It doesn't help that you both are strong willed."

" I know, but he isn't protecting me. He's stifling me. I can't breathe in here, Sam. I just need a night out."

Sam sat back down, " So take one."

Lana's eyebrows raised in suspicious surprise, " Oh, and directly defy His Majesty's orders?"

"Why not?"

"Because I don't doubt that he would try to stop me."

Sam leaned back in the chair and folded his arms, "I never took you for someone who was scared of Dean. In fact, that is something I liked about you. You don't take his crap."

Lana pushed back from the table and stood. "You're right! Screw him and his dumb orders. What is the worst he can do to me? Thanks!"

She grabbed the pie tin and move towards the garbage can.

"Leave it on the table, it'll piss him off more." Sam whispered.

Lana left it in the middle of the table with the fork sticking out of it that night. She didn't wait around to see Dean's expression.

Later that night, after everyone was in their rooms, Lana grabbed her jacket and snuck towards the garage. She had to convince Cas that she was going to stay up to try to find more about her "gift" in the files. That took more time than she expected but in the end he went away without much of a problem. She managed to avoid Dean, who seemed to be doing the same to her.

The door to the garage opened quietly and she slipped into the darkness. With the door shut behind her, Lana flipped on the switch and grimaced at the light that flooded the room. It took her a second to adjust to brightness but when she did, she made her way to the key board, found the keys to the Indian, and ran over to it. Carefully, she kicked back the kickstand and pushed the heavy machine towards the doors leading out. She relished the cold air that played with her hair and smiled knowing that she was free to go anywhere she wanted tonight. She was so focused on being quiet and trying to figure out what to do that she didn't notice the man leaning up against his own motorcycle in the shadows.

"Took you long enough."

Lana jumped at the voice, letting go of the motorcycle for a moment before wrestling it back into her hands. She glared off into the shadows, still hugging the bike.

"God, Sam! This is a freakin' vintage Scout! I almost dropped it!"

He laughed and walked towards her, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but I had been waiting for a while out here."

She stood straight, " I wasn't aware you were invited."

"Dean was wrong about trying to force you to stay here, but he was right about it not being safe to go out on your own. So, I thought I would come with you."

Lana rolled her eyes, "Do you even know how to ride a motorcycle?"

"I haven't been on one in a long time, but I can drive one."

She looked over at his bike before getting on her own, "Your bike sucks."

Lana wanted to be annoyed with the fact that Sam was acting as her babysitter, but the feeling of freedom she was feeling outweighed any other emotions she had. Sam mentioned a dive in the area that had great food and was also unknown to Dean, so she was following Sam towards the mystery spot. The night was cold and dark but Lana felt nothing but light. After about 20 minutes Sam turned off from the main road and into a gravel parking lot. The small, wooden building couldn't fit more than 100 people in it, but the entire place seemed to be buzzing with music and voices. They left their bikes and entered the building, found a small table in the back, and waited for their menus.

"Is this place okay?" Sam yelled, trying to be heard over the jukebox.

Lana nodded, "Feels just redneck enough to be home. I dig it."

A waitress came with their menus, and after taking their orders she disappeared behind the swinging kitchen doors. Lana tried to take in as much life from this bar as she could. Soon she would be hidden behind gray walls again.

"So, we really haven't talked about what happened that night."

Lana glanced over at Sam. "What night?"

"With Crowley."

"Ah," Lana smiled at the waitress who brought their drinks and waited for her to leave before speaking, " I suppose we haven't. What did it look like on your end?"

"You looked dead, and I was starting to think you might be. Then, without warning, you started screaming. You're eyes were still closed but your body was contorting in...weird ways. We tried to wake you up but couldn't. God, you would not stop screaming. Suddenly, you threw yourself off of the chair and hit the coffee table and you were awake."

"Huh, I didn't know that. I could hear screaming in my head but I didn't know it was me until I woke up."

Sam started playing with his napkin, "Cas told us what happened. To you, I mean."

"I wondered when you'd bring it up, took you long enough"

"I didn't know if you wanted to talk about it, ya know?"

Lana moved her chair in towards the table to allow someone to pass behind her, " It's okay. I've had time to think about it."

"I know it's none of my business, but it isn't your fault. About Adam. You're not a bad person for not loving him in that way. That's just life."

"I know that logically, but emotionally I feel like I failed him. I spent all this time looking for him, and I found him, but I don't love him? Oh, but he loves me. That's just...a lot to deal with."

The waitress brought over their food, smiling at Sam, and interrupted their conversation. Lana picked up a fry and munched on it while the waitress and Sam flirted. Maybe he was right and she shouldn't feel like crap, but she did. She not only left Adam in Hell but left him _after_ he told her he loved her. Who does something like that?

"Listen," Sam's voice directed her back to reality, " You're not the only one who has been in this position. I mean, this _particular_ situation with Hell and the Cage is singular to you, but we have all had to figure out how to delicately deal with people who love us but we don't love back. Don't let that be your focus. Let's just get Adam out first, okay? The rest can be dealt with later. And don't let Crowley get in your head about this crap. He will use it to bend you"

"Fair enough," Lana looked over to the waitress, "She's cute."

Sam looked through his hair back at the woman, who was smiling back at him again, "You think?"

The woman looked over at the clock, noted the time, and started to undo her apron. She disappeared under the bar, retrieved her purse, and walked towards the bathroom.

"Sure. Why not ask her to dance? " Lana nodded towards the small dance floor that already had people on it.

"I don't want to leave you here alone."

"I was planning on going out alone, remember? It's not like you're crushing my heart here."

Sam flashed his brilliant smile at her and turned just in time to see the woman exiting the bathroom. He walked up to her, said something Lana assumed was adorable and cheesy, and the two of them walked off towards the dance floor. Lana turned back towards her food with a smirk on her face and continued to eat. She enjoyed the sounds of life around her and was thankful that Sam had thought to bring her here.

"Hello, darling."

And just like that, Lana lost her appetite. She threw down the pickle in her hand and glared up at Crowley who had seemingly appeared in the chair Sam was in moments before. God, she hated when Dean was right.

"What do you want?"

"You don't call, you don't write, and now you're taking an attitude with me? I'm hurt!" Crowley reached over for one of her fries. Lana slapped it out of his hand quickly and enjoyed the look of surprise that crossed his face.

"Again: What do you want?"

"I've just come to say hello. You've been off the radar for some time, you know. I was starting to wonder what happened to you."

Lana took a sip of her Coke, " I hear - and I could be wrong here- but I hear that cell phones actually have the ability to send text messages back and forth, meaning that you could have contacted me."

"I've been busy. King of Hell and all."

"Good for you."

"Now, now. I have come all the way to this charming little hole in the wall to talk to you. You should be nicer."

"Or?" She was getting tired of thinly veiled threats these days.

"Or, with a snap of my fingers, I could kill the lovely little thing that Sam is so taken with."

Lana peeked over at Sam and the woman. They both looked like they were having fun, they looked happy. She didn't know the woman - not even her name- but she didn't doubt that Crowley would do it.

"Fine, you win. Just leave her alone."

Crowley took her fry again, this time Lana let him have it, "Of course, my dear."

"So, now that you have found me, what can I help you with?"

"I fear we have wasted enough time sitting around. We need to work on your little gift if we are to get anywhere with it."

"Okay, what does that involve, exactly?"

"First, I'm afraid we are going to have to go through that nasty posession business again. It shouldn't be as extreme this time."

Lana closed her eyes out of frustration. She was not looking forward to that, "And then what?"

"We know you can open and close doors, now we work on entering others dreams and realities. If you can do it in one place, say Hell, you can do it anywhere. We need you to control where you jump."

"Okay."

Crowley brushed off his hands on a napkin, "So, I will contact one of you tomorrow with the details of where to meet, as I am unable to enter that charming bunker." He stood up and gave her a little bow, "Until that time."

This time, he walked away instead of disappearing. Lana was thankful for the little things. She shoved the food away from her and looked towards Sam who, from the look on his face, must have noticed Crowley walking out of the building. He excused himself from the woman and weaved through the crowds towards her table.

"Tell me that wasn't-"

"Oh, it was."

Sam swore under his breath, "What did he want?"

Lana decided to skip the part about him threatening Sam's date, "To tell us that we are to meet him tomorrow for more "lessons"."

"He couldn't just call to tell us that?!"

"Dude, I don't know him that well, but I can already tell that he tends towards the dramatic."

"You're not wrong."

Lana pulled out some money and tossed it on the table, "I think it's time to go." Sam nodded and walked towards his date to say goodbye. By the time he walked out to the parking lot Lana was starting her bike.

"Don't tell Dean about this," she said over the roar of the engine, "I freaking hate it when he is right."


End file.
